All These Lines Are Blurring
by hellorhogwarts
Summary: Vegas AU You know what this is. #LoveWins Korrasami
1. Chapter 1

Asami admired the six by five inch glass tablet in her fingers, while see-through, it wasn't beneath the surface that interested her. The interface glittered confetti and streams of colour sporting the Women's US soccer team, hot off of their win cheering in a fan fare of parades, confetti cannons and fireworks in the heart of New York. Their front runner of the top deck of the double decker bus, Korra waving a flag madly live on CNN. Asami watched her feed her hand into her pocket and rifle out a matching phone to the one the heiress watched her on now, smiling with her team mate she took a selfie and seconds later Asami received it with the caption.

 _Is this the bus for Vegas?_

Her confused pouty expression was adorable in 4K ultra high definition. Asami found herself grinning way too wide as to be considered sane. There was something about the arch of her brow and the way her cerulean eyes gleamed that lightened the pressure in her chest, it might have even raised it but without being there in person she was too far away to tell.

Going back to the live feed she watched as the newscasters picked up on the fact that Korra was wielding a Sato Industries prototype SatoPhone. It wasn't a royalty for being a soccer star, even though they hadn't seen each other for near two years in the flesh, Korra always supported Asami's endeavours, from beta testing to offering to be on cereal boxes. Not that Future Industries' many philanthropies had dipped into the breakfast market yet.

 _"They could be like Cheerios but cogs," Korra had explained, on Skype from her home in LA, demonstrating on a box she'd sketched on with a sharpie. "Sat'O's…get it? Asami? Your eyebrow is doing that thing?"_

 _"You waste an exorbitant amount of time d'you know that?"_

 _"So is that a no?"_

A vacation in Vegas with all her old best friends seemed like the perfect way to breathe new life into her old one. The arrest of her father two years ago she'd had to head up the complete restructure of Sato Industries, east and west coast. Two thousand miles from all her people in LA, and a newly recovered Korra.

After her last break up an infusion of Korra with this trip was just the cure. It was messy and hurtful and the silence between her other friends made it almost unbearable.

 _"You know what your problem is Asami? Everything you have and do is so neat and goddamn pristine." he spoke almost casually, matter of factly, but that didn't mean everything he said didn't hit the heiress like a slap. "You're a control freak. You can't let go and you are the reason this," Iroh gestured between the two of them, "doesn't work. I can't be a part of your neat little bubble anymore Sams, I'm sorry. You need to let go."_

 _And at that point she did, of her glass of merlot, it went streaming over his smug face and Armani shirt._

It was immature she knew it, and maybe she was channeling the best friend that she missed so much, currently acing the world cup. It was then she realised how isolated she had let herself become, and seeing Korra on TV reminded her of everything she used to have; helping Bolin get over his crippling shyness to pluck up the courage to talk to Opal, who it was later revealed was similarly inflicted; sparring with Mako so he could ace his police hand to hand combat exam, helping Korra work through the last of her physical therapies, before the inquiry they were almost living together. She'd been so happy and now it was all in sight. The company was doing well. For the first time in a long time she felt free.

So naturally it was time to party.

Her display changed, Jinora, Korra's friend of the family-slash-almost sister was calling.

"Hey Jinora."

"I can assume that selfie got sent straight to you?"

"She said she's excited about Vegas this weekend."

"Ugh why couldn't I have been born _six months_ earlier. I feel like I'm missing out on so much."

"Hey you'll come next time, you can even bring your secret boyfriend-"

" _Don't_ the master has ears everywhere and he'll freak so much he'll lock me in the stables."

"The stunt double and the stable boy, how romantic," Asami crooned.

" _Speaking of romance,_ are you going to tell Korra she's the reason you've tanked every relationship you've had from here to Houston?"

"I…You-"

"I can feel you blushing on my ear."

"It's complicated."

"You can make it less complicated by telling her."

"You say nothing. There are _variables,_ lots of things could go wrong."

" _What's the worst that could happen?_ She says no, Asami, she's a female soccer star, thats the second gayest sport on the planet, she should at least accept you for who you are and work through it until you don't feel as strongly anymore."

"It's ridiculous how wise you are Confucius."

"And hey, Gay Marriage is legal now, go to Vegas, let your freak flag fly! And Periscope some bits to me I don't want to miss a second Drunk Slami Aato."

"Bye _Jinora._ "

" _Bye Felicia!"_

XXXXXXXX

 _We're under the moose head!_

Asami re read Bolin's odd text, but he reiterated with a photo of a confused looking moose with a propellor beanie hat. It was hard to believe TGI Friday's could get any weirder, but then again they were in the birthplace of _Fear and Loathing._ As she walked in she caught sight of the lumbering mover star standing from their booth and waving his sunglasses at her. Mako sat beside him trying to get him to calm down. Meanwhile Opal, the dignified shining light of the Beifong and Zaofu hotel chain heirs, practically piggy back rode him as he clambered over the table to buffet her in a bear hug.

"Slami Sami!" he crowed rocking.

"Hey Bolin!" she yelped back, wrapping her arms around them both as Opal ruffled her hair. "And you Opal."

"Damn straight." she laughed hopping off her boyfriend to give a real hug. "It's good to see you Sams"

"Let the games begin!" beckoning to the table already full of beer and cocktails.

"Wait where's Korra?" As if to answer she felt strong arms curl around her abdomen, squeezing and craning her neck so she could blow a raspberry on the taller woman's cheek. " _Korra!"_ She twisted, wiping her cheek and jokingly pushing her back, "Thats gross!"

"C'mon its been two _years_! I got a lot of love built up," she grinned, "I almost can't believe you're finally here."

"You're worse than Naga." Asami caved, wrapping her arms around the shorter girls form, holding her close, "I've missed you too." It hit her in waves, she'd cradled Korra before, albeit with less gusto than she was now but it reminded her of how important the athlete was to her. She fit so comfortably against her it was almost perfect. Before she had the chance to truly admire that fact Mako cleared his throat. They jumped apart, and Asami swore she caught Korra blushing before they turned to greet their ex.

"Detective Mako! How rude of us!"

"We must greet the officer!" Korra agreed, they saluted, he rolled his eyes before Asami dove to hug him.

"Okay very funny, now scooch in," He shuffled so Asami could sit next to him and grunted a little when she kept sliding to accommodate Korra.

"First order of business?" She asked addressing their usual game master, only his girlfriend answered.

"Jaeger." she said proudly, pulling a bottle out of the fray.

"Wh-at!" Korra's eyes bugled.

"Oh come on Superstar, you've got a week or so before your training starts. You wanna have fun tonight or don't you?" Opal winked eyes flicking between the two women at the opposite end of the table. Asami hoped against hope that Korra didn't catch her expression, or its implied meaning.

"You know I have like ten percent body fat right? I'm pretty sure I'll have no memory after tonight."

"Which is why we play the Mind Games!"

"Fantastic."

"Tone it down on the sarcasm _cool guy_ ," Bolin grinned, "College rules."

" _You didn't even go to college._ " Mako muttered and Asami nudged him.

"You can't say the word 'drink', no pointing, spillage is lickage,"

"What does that even mean?" Asami asked watching the brown heady liquid tipple into the glasses.

"Oh it means if you spill your drink, wherever it lands you've got to get down there and-"

"I get it thanks Korra." She fed her arm between the heiress' and leaned in close.

"Happy to help," Asami turned her head and arched her eyebrow, to which Korra responded with her traditional indignant pout. The standoff melted suddenly into giggles, that Opal broke with the clearing of her throat.

" _And_ greeting cards." she pulled out a deck and splayed them face down.

"Are we counting cards or something Beifong?" Korra jibed back, tearing her eyes away from the woman who's arm was still linked with her own.

"You know I'm a cop right?"

"You are? You never mention it." Bolin deadpanned as Mako took a card from Opal's deck.

"Whenever we go to a new place we each pick a card, lowest gets a forfeit." Opal took her own card licked the back and slapped it on Bolin's forehead.

"How often do you two do this?"

"Film sets get boring."

"Is this going to explain the streaking through Greenwich Village on the set of Thor 2 Bolin?"

"London had a tropical heatwave okay!"

Mako grinned and waved his King of Spades, Asami got an Ace of Hearts, Bolin a Queen of Diamonds, and Opal the King of Clubs.

"Goddamn the one time I hate to see my shirt number." Korra raised her 4 of Hearts.

"Okay Asami gets to pick, she got the highest."

"Be nice?" Korra offered, growing her eyes to doe like proportions while contrastingly Asami's emeralds darkened.

"I'll destroy you."

"Oh god kill me with Jaeger."

"What can I ask for?"

"Anything you want, some rules can last entire evenings." Korra whined as Opal explained, burying her face in Asami's shoulder.

"I feel bad that Jinora couldn't make it and I said I'd Periscope her all night. Korra you are now our resident live videographer."

" _Weak_." Bolin crowed.

"No this is good, Korra has loads of followers, this'll be great for our power friendship."

 _"Oh man,_ we're like the ultimate popular kids we have, billionairess, philanthropist and tech _genius, the illustrious, industrious Asami Sato!"_ Korra got on board immediately, whipping out her phone and presenting each friend.

"Keep it in your pants Korra!" Opal chimed.

 _"In the Green corner_ we have Zaofu heiress, and sound double on the side for the likes of Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and many other a hollywood Lady Opal 'the aeronaut' Biefong!" Opal flexed her arm and Bolin pretended to swoon, " _Next to her_ is her wench, A lister, Mover Star, you know him from Marvel, we know him as the the six foot teddy bear, Booooolin!"

Asami snatched her phone from her and switched the camera to face her and Korra both.

"And fresh from her World Cup win we have to real MVP, voted most likely to be a super human in high school, and is the sweetest girl this side of the Nevada desert - it's Korra!" Grinning Korra took her phone back and switched the camera back around.

"And here we have Mako. He's a cop or something. I don't know he never mentions it."

Mako glared at her unblinkingly and deadpanned, "When you pass out. I will shave you."

"Shut up and lets beverage!"

XXXXXXXX

Asami woke in a haze of marshmallowy duvet. Roasting, yet blinding as the sun refracted off of every white surface in this damned penthouse suite. It wasn't the heat that woke her though, her phone was buzzing on the bedside table, shrill, loud like a jackhammer on the heiress' temple.

She groaned and her hand flew out knocking all its contents onto the floor.

"Son of a fuck." She groaned tasting her own horrible breath and the unfamiliar hoarseness of her own voice. It must've been a good night. She pulled herself from her cocoon, revealing that yes she was naked, sort of, in choice places she felt sticky, hazarding a guess she hoped it was the remnants of chocolate syrup. She wheeled around finding that she was, at that moment, alone.

Kind of. She couldn't believe her eyes; for at the end of the room, strutting of all things was a bright white chicken, wandering aimlessly and pecking at her discarded bra.

"Hey that's Versace!" the fowl paid no notice. Picking up her phone, which she whined at the sight of seeing that the screen was cracked, she flitted through her texts, of which there were fifty or so from Opal, Bolin and Mako combined. Opal was at least 30 of those, upon first glance they were drunken, odd and indignant. Before she could read in depth, again her phone began to bleat, and she answered, rewrapping her shoulders in downy goodness.

"Jinora?"

" _YOU HAD SEX WITH KORRA?"_

 _"Why are you yelling?"_

 _"_ You. Had. Fucking. Sex. With. My. Roommate!"

"I think I would remember if I had sex with my best friend Jinora."

"You made a _live stream Periscope sex tape that is all over youtube Asami."_

"Did Opal put you up to this?"

"Holy cow you don't remember do you?"

"I don't know. I can't think it hurts. There's a chicken in my room."

"Fucking Vegas!"

"Stop yelling at me!"

"You and her had sex _for hours_ last night, is she with you?"

"No no-one is with me - how do I not know you're lying."

"You're toes go numb after you orgasm."

"I didn't tell you that!"

"You told Korra last night."

"Stop saying I had sex with Korra."

"Oh my god you're a twitter trend look it up!"

Asami was suddenly wide awake, she flipped through the feeds, chanting a mantra of _no no no no no!_

 _If_ she had sex with Korra, which it very well looked like, she had tossed her phone, while recording into the glass bowl on the right side of the bed and it had done nothing but widen the perspective of the lens.

She turned from the left side to investigate, the right side had been slept in, there was a dip in the pillow.

"Oh no Jinora."

"Yeup."

"Jinora she's gone, what happened? What did I do?"

"Calm down I'm sure she has a reason."

"Jinora there's blood on her pillow. What if I hurt her? What if she hates me?"

"I don't think Korra is capable of hating another human being, I mean come on, it's Korra." As Jinora assured her her eyes caught the corner of a frame that hadn't been i the room when she originally dumped her clothes there.

"Oh no,"

"What?"

"It gets worse."

"How much worse?"

"Much worse. Kinsey six worse."

"Kinsey what now?"

"Korra and I…"

" _What woman?_ "

The frame held an official document, one that Asami hoped to high hell was not official.

State of Nevada

Marriage Certificate

Bride - Asami Sato

Bride - Korra Sato


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't tell if this is amazing or terrible." Jinora's voice was light, like any minute she would start cracking up.

"Oh crap it's real. This is a real marriage certificate. There's a receipt to pick up the wedding photos and everything."

"Well that explains the chicken,"

" _No it does not explain the chicken!_ "

"You sent a picture of a chicken wearing a veil."

"Well she's not wearing it now!"

"Asami calm down, it was just a drunken…misunderstanding."

"Jinora this is the fucking titanic of _misunderstandings!_ I finally get a chance with her, and we jump the gun and get _married_. Now that means that before we've even started - I've got to get divorced from the woman I sort of-have been completely in love with since _high school_."

"Hey at least you're admitting it."

"And _you!_ Are not helping! She probably hates me, I probably bludgeoned her with my freaky Krav Maga. _Let your freak flag fly Asami! The worst thing she can do is say no Asami_ What kind of horrible gypsy witch magic advice was that?"

"Look Asami, it didn't seem like she was upset, like at all, during the-"

"You did not watch the tape, tell me you didn't watch me having sex…"

" _My point is_ she was telling you she loved you. A lot. It sounded like she was happier than pre-accident Korra. Which is rare."

Asami covered her eyes and felt new waves of sweat heat her body, nerves and hangover and shear fear swept through her.

"Your father is going to _castrate me."_

"You sounded happy too-"

"Of course I was happy Jinora _I was having sex!"_

"Okay I won't yell so long as you stop acting like a bitch." Asami winced and conceded.

"I'm sorry, it's just, it's unbelievable. I'm scared I'm going to lose her over some stupid crush."

"I think it's way past a crush…"

" _Jinora_."

" _Sorry_. Don't you think it's odd you don't remember anything?"

"We were drinking a lot. Like a lot a lot."

"Yeah but even drunk people can recall details, what do you remember?"

"Uh, TGI Fridays, Drinking games. A limo. And then waking up covered in chocolate in syrup just now."

" _Kinky._ "

"You're a child!"

"What kind?"

It was then Asami took it upon herself to really look at the room. There were clothes, a chicken, Korra's lingerie, so wherever she was now she was going commando, a pool of water growing from the en suite and an open fridge. A punnet of strawberries were on the ground beside this, a canister of whipping cream and the bottle of syrup. Korra's flannel shirt had acted as some kind of sordid picnic blanket.

"Hershey's." Asami answered.

"Korra's favourite."

"Please stop making light of this. I'm sure it'll be funny in a hundred years, after I've been buried in an ice berg and returned with starbucks but _right now_ I just want to bury myself in work again." Asami finally took it upon herself to gather some clothes, anything to make her feel less exposed than she already felt.

"By the way your stock options went through the roof."

"Jinora!"

"I'm serious, it's rare to find a cell phone with that kind of battery life."

"I. Want. To. End. You."

"Okay, Okay I'll stop, but seriously you're missing like the most obvious course of action."

"Lay it on me-and if you're about to say that 'Korra already did' I will hire an assassin. Oh yeah. I know people."

"Why don't you try calling her?" Asami kicked at the chicken to get her off of her bra and manoeuvred it around holding the phone to her ear.

"I'm not ready for that. I don't think I could handle her being mad at me."

"Then text to meet,"

"In person it'll be even worse."

"Then your next step is probably to call Opal. She kept texting me asking where you two were and I bet she's still shitting a chicken."

"Fun choice of words."

"Bite the bullet Asami. Call Opal, or call your Bride."

"Holy crap I have a wife."

"Better get a pregnancy test while you're at it."

"Jinora!" and with that the younger girl hung up.

Asami pressed her palm to her clammy aching forehead. Calling anyone right now just felt like it would be more painful. Still she was curious, she had to know how in the world she had won over the woman she loved. So she whipped up google and found clips. Periscope hearts buzzing and people's comments ranging from supportive to just plain fifth.

Korra ditched her phone sometime after they stumbled into the penthouse, without realising the app had started up again. Mumbling something in that stupidly adorable husky voice of hers in between kisses that she didn't want to break Asami's invention. Still despite her lack of memory they seemed surprisingly sober. Korra was going slow. She kissed every button she unhitched, before finding solace in biting Asami's neck.

Asami put a hand to her throat and confirmed that Korra had left a nest of hickeys as a reminder. As angry as she wanted to be she felt a lump in her oesophagus, and tears forming in her eyes as she heard Korra whisper.

" _I've missed you so much Asami."_

She couldn't. She couldn't watch. She couldn't listen to it without knowing if was either drunken lies or it was true then and she had lost her trust. Thumbing on to her texts she hit Opal's Icon and went to the last text the heiress sent the stunt double.

 _I'm definitely gay for Korra._

 ** _What?_**

 ** _Salami?_**

 ** _*ASAMI!_**

 ** _You can't just text that and not reply!_**

 ** _Are you together?_**

 ** _Like together together?_**

 ** _Bitch answer me!_**

 ** _Bean pole!_**

 ** _Bitch face!_**

 ** _ASAMEEEEEH_**

 ** _Where are you?_**

 ** _Where's Korra?_**

 ** _What are you two doing!_**

 ** _You're having sex right now aren't you?_**

 ** _Whatever I don't need this nonsense_**

 ** _OMG STAHP_**

 ** _THE PERISCOPE IS STILL ON_**

 ** _YOU HAVE 10,000 HEARTS_**

 ** _That's impressive_**

 ** _You people disgust me_**

 ** _You people giggle too much_**

 ** _Perez Hilton is live tweeting you guys_**

 ** _Jesus five?_**

 ** _What is the battery life on this thing?_**

 ** _Aww you look so good cuddling_**

 ** _I'm going to show Mako_**

Despite herself Asami found herself smiling through the tears. She wiped at them with the heel of her hand, catching in the motion a glint on her ring finger. She flinched, tearing it off to inspect. There were no diamond, its was a simple, white gold wedding band, inside however there was an engraving.

 _For my forever girl. K._

 _You corny son of a bitch._ Asami thought to herself, tracing her index finger along the marks. Her interest was pulled by the chicken approaching her cautiously now. It eyed her jewel with wonder and as Asami reached out to stroke the plumage, she pecked. Asami cursed at her and stood, slipping the ring back on her left hand and deciding it was best to call sooner rather than later.

She picks up around the tenth ring.

"Hullo?"

"Opal?"

"Asami?!" Opal sounded alert now, "Don't look at the news!"

"It's too late."

"Oh well, in light of that information I imagine you can't be feeling any worse than you already do now?"

"I've pretty much hit rock bottom yeah."

"Well then." Opal cleared her throat, " _What the hell were you thinking you stupid nerdy airhead! The entire world has seen your cum face you dozy bint!_ And for christ sakes would it have killed you to pick up the phone and text me or Bo to let us know you're okay! I was so worried!"

"I'm sorry okay? Opal." Asami couldn't keep the sobbing out of her voice at the sound of Opal's switching from rage to ardent care, it brought to light everything she cared about, or the absence of it at least. "She's gone. I woke up and she wasn't there this morning _and I can't remember anything,_ and there's a chicken in here, and blood on her pillow and a marriage certificate in a frame and the shower's broken and-"

"Hold up! Go back one!"

"We got married last night Opal."

"Oh _fuck."_

 _"I know._ No wonder she can't even stand to look at me."

"We don't know why she's gone, lets not assume the worst… Maybe she had to puke and didn't want to do it in front of you?" Asami sucked in a calming breath, and nodded.

"Yeah okay." Asami didn't believe her own words even as she said them. She'd seen Korra at her worst, when she hated to be looked at by anyone, Asami had been there. What could possibly have her so ashamed that she couldn't stay and face the hangover with her.

"Okay? Okay, go shower and we'll get the limo back and retrace your steps, starting with that chapel. See if you can find any other receipts too."

"About the shower. Mine kind of exploded."

"That explains where you two went for the missing half hour. People are speculating on the message boards…"

"There are message boards!"

"…No. Come to the Platinum Penthouse. Bye!"

Asami was really getting sick of people hanging up on her. She rifled through her back for her washroom kit and clothes, she had the feeling it was going to be a paparazzi day today, so she went with a conservative blouse, jeans and open toed shoes.

She took a complementary robe, tied it and used a towel as a make shift hood. She slapped on sunglasses and perused her reflection in the mirror.

 _Like Audrey Hepburn,_ she thought, _not at all like a skank who just made a world wide lesbian sex tape. Uh crap._

After picking up her change in clothes she buried the marriage certificate between them.

She ventured a peek into the corridor. Bolin was waiting, arms folded staring at his phone. When she opened the door he stood bolt upright.

"H-hey 'Sami."

"Not you too."

"It was my idea to check the Periscope. _Boy was I surprised."_ Asami groaned and made a move to go back into her hole when he reached out to her, "Sorry I wont say anything more than this…but I think you and Korra were made for each other."

Asami blanched, watching his blush rage, and as she hadn't moved or told him to shove it, he powered through,

"You haven't seen her in a while 'Sami but yesterday was _wow_ it was like we had the old her back. She's been burying herself with the cup and it paid off, but I don't think anything she does is worth it until…she…shares…it…with you…"

He trailed off not knowing if he was making sense or not, but every word hit home with the heiress. It gave her new hope. She leant forward and found her head in his chest, she willed herself not to cry but it didn't stop her from taking comfort in the soothing circles the actor was stroking into her back.

"You and Opal are like that too." she mumbled, feeling him squeeze a little tighter.

"We'll find her."

Asami nodded stepping back, clutching the frame and clothes against her chest. Waiting for Bolin to lead the way.

"Uh Sami?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we should take the chicken?"

"Ugh."

One chicken under Bolin's arm later, Asami was scrubbing herself raw in the Platinum Penthouse shower.

"Explain to me again how a Zaofu Hotel can have Penthouse, and Platinum Penthouse suites?" Asami called, towelling her hair, glad in some change in the conversation.

"Capitalism," Opal shrugged, tracing her fingers across the track pad of the laptop she'd acquired from security. "BAM One Korra Sato. Exiting your room at eight this morning. Jesus, what did you do to her face?"

Opal pulled up the security footage and from a less wide angle they could see a crescent of red under her left eye, mean while her right hand was bandaged. Unfortunately this was the hand holding her phone, her expression in a blind spot between her wrist and messy hair. She'd donned her shorts and vest and sneakers.

"She fixed herself up?" Asami asked.

"We don't have first aid kits in our rooms, they have to be acquired from staff."

"Did she come in like it?"

Opal rewound the footage to almost six hours before. Asami was kissing Korra's throat against the door, she turned her face and yes, the crescent was there only significantly less wide. All the while, as Korra held the back of the heiress' neck with one hand, her bandaged hand clutched the frame.

"She must've pulled her stitches somehow."

"Why did she need stitches in the first place?" Bolin asked, from the corner.

"Uh Bo? Why are you facing the wall?"

"Asami you're in a towel still."

"Oh shit sorry."

"I don't know why he's doing that it's not like we haven't seen _everything."_ Opal gave her a shit eating grin, basking in the glory of Asami's death stare. She padded back into the bathroom dressing at lightning speed and emerging arms wide as if to say _come at me Bropal!._

But it was in that moment she felt a niggling in her brain, flashing lights in her peripherals, a thrumming bass in her chest. She remembered holding ice cold drinks and a lot of bare skin.

And even though she was stood in the Suite with Opal and Bolin, she found herself remembering Korra's mouth near her ear, yelling.

XXXXXXXX

 _"I'm happy you're going to be near me after you move."_ Asami had shuffle closer to hear but the music was too loud.

"What?"

"I said I'm glad you're going to be living near us for a while."

"What?"

"Never mind"

"C'mon K, you can tell me." The heiress gripped Korra's bicep and tugged her close purposefully putting her ear into the path of her breath. All the while using her phone on the sound system to kill the volume.

"It's gonna be great, living near you, when we get back."

"It'll be just like old times."

"Except we'll be living on the set of the L word." Asami smirked at the change in Korra's expression, it was like a pause and panic all in one. If should read her thoughts it'd be somewhere along the lines of _Watch_ _it Korra your gay is showing!_

"Only if I can be Dana."

"I hope not Dana dies…I know I said it a lot before we both left but I feel like after last weekend I haven't said it enough. Thank you."

"Because I was the one training ten hour days and leading the team to world class victory?"

" _It was all for you_ … I mean because, because you were there for me that year, and Skype at the rehab. And I know I've been quiet for a while but that doesn't mean I wasn't thinking of you after every goal. You're my best friend. The best friend I've ever heard of. You were with me." Asami leaned back to catch her cerulean eyes grow to doe sized. Korra grinned, touching her chest, " _In here_."

"You're such a bitch." but she was smiling right back. "You've upset me now,"

Korra swung her phone out and flipped up the Periscope app.

"So I'll make you a drink," she faced the camera, "With this insane tiny Future Industries mini bar!"

"If you keep plugging my company without my lawyers permission I might have to sue."

"So long as in the enquiry we get to spend more time together- schnapps and lemonade?"

"Make it a double."

The soccer player balanced the phone on the counter as she flipped the bottles around her hand, only she missed and sent a stream of schnapps over her thigh.

"Like riding a bike huh?"

"It's been a while since I had to sling drinks." Korra chagrinned wiping the liquor off her skin and licking it off her digits without thinking. Asami watched, eyes heavy lidded as her mind blipped, and wound up staring as she suckled. Despite the music the heiress swore she could hear her mouth at work. "I work with my feet who cares what my hands can do?"

Asami's eyes flashed to Korra's face, marred by concentration as she poured the shots. Biting her lower lip as her hands worked. Little did she know that in just a few short hours, everyone with an internet connection would know exactly what those hands could do.

"Greeting cards!" Bolin announced, before Korra could catch her stare.

"Ready? 3-2-1 Lick!" Bolin and Opal plugged each other with their cards, Korra and Asami did the same, leaving Mako to stick his own on his own forehead.

"Haha." Korra pointed at his lowest card, pinning Asami's ten of spades to her brow.

"Suck it three of clubs." Bolin chortled,

"Oh _eat me_." he grumbled, turning to Opal, with the ace of spades on her cheek. "What do you want?"

"Ooh make him our butler!" Bolin chortled.

"For the whole night?" his voice cracked with worry, prompting all the heads to turn.

"Alright Felicia. It'll be quick." Opal grinned watching his dark pointed eyebrows arch so they almost merged.

"Somehow this feels worse."

The stunt double pursed her fingers and arched one brow in response, clearly an evil mastermind of play at work. The Limo pulled to a stop at an intersection, and a penny in that mind dropped.

"Mako, for your forfeit you are going to _smooch_ the limo driver."

"What? They're driving - that's probably illegal."

"Boy if only we knew a cop that would know for sure." Korra chagrinned.

"I knew one once I think his name was Mark? Michael?" Asami added.

"Miso, security guard right?" Bolin pondered, putting on his best actor-thinking face, which included boss eyes.

" _What do I get if I forfeit the forfeit_?"

"I can't guarantee you wont end up on the strip in a sexy cop strippers costume after you pass out." Opal said without missing a beat.

"That's not fair!" Mako groaned, whining his case to his brother and his girlfriend.

"Keep complaining and we'll add a tutu to that double forfeit!"

Seeing that their argument over nonsense could go on for a while, Korra scooted closer to Asami, who caught her shy gaze and met her half way.

"Everything okay?"

"With me? Yeah fine, absolutely. I just remembered you never got a chance to talk about what happened between you and Iroh?" Asami ignored the jolt under her ribs then, reminding herself that this was what best friends did, spoke about exes. Compared terrible ex _boyfriends_ and how they'll avoid the same mistake with the next _boyfriend._

"Oh that. It just didn't work out."

"That simple huh? Woke up one day and thought. This cog? This hole? _Incompatible_!"

Asami's eyes darkened challengingly.

"Extremely." Korra laughed, and Asami felt at ease. It was a feeling she never knew she'd forgotten, but in the dark with Korra it all felt so natural, so calm. Leaning closer she continued, "He said he didn't _fit in my bubble_ ,"

"Well clearly he's not doing it right." Korra teased watching gleefully as red dusted the heiress' cheeks.

"That I was too _controlling_. I mean."

"You are."

" _What_?"

"You are controlling. It's what makes you you."

"Not all the time!"

"Of course not but it's a great thing to have. Most of us who free fall are just terrified this whole time, and it makes it scarier when we see people who have it together. Which you do, I mean who could run a multi billion dollar company and not have it right?" Korra, ironically, felt like she was losing control of her train of thought, and just making her more upset. She dragged her fingers along the hand that was holding her apology drink. Asami tried to ignore the tingle that scored up her spine. "I know I depended on it when I needed you most."

"I don't _want_ to be like this all the time."

"You're not. We're in Vegas right now! This is the place for sporadically free falling through life… and losing millions of dollars and hookers and drugs and buffets and-"

"Stop."

"I was out of things anyway."

"No I mean _stop the limo!"_ and it did.

"What's the big idea?" Bolin did his best NYC accent and his girlfriend added in the same.

" _Yeah._ We're threatenin' May-ko here!"

"I'm being spontaneous." Asami grinned at Korra, using a phone app to open the sun roof and pulling her through it.

"I want to go in there."

" _There?_ You sure?"

"You can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes" Asami shrugged pulling herself through the window to the top of the car while Korra's jaw dropped to her chest.

"Four seconds Mako, whats it gonna be? Forfeit one or Forfeit swim in fountain with a chicken thong and fluffy hand cuffs?"

"Ugh."

He caved, starting to clamber over the bar and seats. Feeding himself through the window with surprising ease. The skinny, dark skinned driver took a quick double take of the tall drink of water that was suddenly leaning in the window beside him.

"Sir?"

"I will make sure your boss pays you double for this." and with that Mako pressed his mouth to his surprisingly soft cheek and leapt back.

"Ga!"

XXXXXXXX

"Did we go to a club last night?"

Bolin and Opal shared a concerned look, one that made Asami's stomach fall into her feet.

"Not exactly."

"I'm not going to like this am I?"

"It was a club."

"We didn't film any of it!"

"But there was… stripping?"

"There may have been a lap dance?"

"I did _not_ pay for a lap dance, I know I was blitzed but I would never-!"

"You gave Korra a lap dance."


	3. Chapter 3

"It was only for a minute!" Bolin assured. "We think…"

"You are literally the worst influences that I have ever met in the history of my life." Asami was almost folded in half as she keeled over sat at the end of the bed, head in hands, sheets of long black hair blocking out the outside world. Almost.

"Honestly you didn't take much convincing." Opal mused.

"Yeah Opal had us all reaching for those cards."

"So let me get this straight," Opal snorted and Asami sat bolt upright and glared a glare that had the stunt double flinching, "I went from meekly, if terribly, flirting with a girl I've been unable to express my feelings for a goddamn decade - to being convinced, coerced or brain washed into a alcoholic slutty cult, wherein I drunkenly wave my ass in her face and _that_ is the move that gets her into my bed with me."

"Technically your _marriage_ bed-" Opal corrected.

"Shut up!"

" _Actually,_ you were surprisingly good." Opal smacked Bolin's arm, "What? She was?"

"Did she…?" Asami began, closing her eyes and feeling her stupid cheeks indulging in their idiotic blush, "did she at least…did it look like she enjoyed it?"

XXXXXXXX

Asami had her hand tight on Korra's, although she was not willing to look back, not knowing if she could hold her conviction if she did. The bright fuchsia sign yelling _Strip Strip Strip_ seemed at the same time, alluring and terrifying. The respectful, illustrious, industrious Asami Sato would never be caught dead in a place like this. Which was well because at the rate her heart was pounding there were no guarantees.

Entering through the padded door, glad not to have been ID'd by the doormen, she turned on Korra, trying to gauge what the soccer star thought of all this. It seemed an odd place to have this calm an expression, before she could dwell the three musketeers came bowling in after them.

"Can I buy you a _beverage_?" Asami asked, intimating the last word towards Opal, remembering her odd drinking rules.

"You can buy us all three!" Opal beamed, unperturbed by the location or the fact she was there with her drooling boyfriend and his brother. "Officer Sharkbrows! Grab that table!"

Mako rolled his eyes and led the way before Opal hopped on her boyfriends back and rode him whooping between the tables.

"I guess I'll help you with the Dr- uh beverages." The heiress led the way to the bar, and even when they arrived Korra had yet to drop her hand. Asami felt her thumb graze her knuckles, and studied her features; insufferably unreadable. Except her shoulders were taut, and cheeks dyed red.

"This isn't uncomfortable for you is it?" This was when Korra let go, checking her phone in her pocket before braving Asami's gaze.

"What? Uh no. It's just like a locker room." she joked, and her timing was impeccable, because a bikini top managed to get slingshotted from one corner of the room and land on the bar between them, "A really _slutty_ locker room."

Asami laughed running her thumb across the garment.

"This isn't half bad."

"You should steal it." Asami smiled at the idea, and could imagine doing so, that was always how she thought. What she'd like to do, and what she should do, and those rarely coincided. Still this was a night to live with no regrets, to lose control, to be in the moment and _with_ Korra. With this burgeoning upon her she began wrapping the stringy garment around her fingers and proceeding to step into Korra's personal space.

"Keep it safe for me." and with that she stuffed it in Korra's shorts hip-pocket.

"What can I get you ladies?" Saved by the barman, she stepped back as though nothing had happened and proceeded to spout out their drinks order that she had memorised from years past. Meanwhile Korra, the adorable cinnamon roll, too good for this world, sweated up a wide eyed, erratically breathed storm as Asami, infuriatingly, refused to look at her.

She damn near jumped out of her own skin when she felt Asami's cool hand touch her arm.

"You still drink a rum and coke?"

"Make them doubles." Korra couldn't help the way her voice squeaked out, she hoped the throbbing bass would cancel it out. Asami bit back her smirk, knowing and loving that she was getting to her, even if it was in this small way. She recited the order again to the barman and returned her attention to the soccer star, who's mind, despite her silence, was racing a mile a minute. After an agonising moment of studying her friend she asked.

"Is this what you call losing control?"

"I like to think of it as controlled chaos." Asami answered smoothly, trying to discreetly maintain contact that sent goose pimples raising over Korra's skin. By this point the barman had put the last mojito next to their hands, and she raised one to toast. "And broadening horizons,"

A skinny blue eyed man with a long fringe stood in the space between them.

"I can drink to that." the drawled, feigning smoothness.

" _Not interested_ ," both girls chorused without even thinking about it.

Before Korra could dwell the heiress was expertly balancing the drinks on her fingers and walking towards their friends.

Opal was already shuffling cards, grinning her evil grin, Asami could almost guess what she was about to suggest then.

"I think we can all agree, greeting cards in this instance has to be themed." Opal grinned, shuffling the cards, "highest gives lowest a lap dance."

Mako snorted into his drink and Bolin gestured towards him, showing they had a similar mind.

"Pointing! Drink!" Korra caught it.

" _Beverage_ ," Opal both corrected and demanded, "And if you guys get it we'll redraw."

"Come on Opal, you don't think it wont be kind of…awkward?" Asami asked almost entirely aware of the space between her and Korra, currently sipping her punishment.

"Asami we're in a strip club, Mako has boobs at the back of his head right now."

" _What_?" He wheeled and flinched forward, and saw that the nearest stripper was on stage ten feet away. Opal sniggered and continued,

"Besides its part of the beauty of this place, the _fantasy,_ it'll be a memory you'll always treasure, and you'll help a friend cross something truly great off their bucket list. It'll make us truly close as a friendship group. Plus it'll be funny as fuck for the rest of us watching."

"You're gonna keep pushing this aren't you?" Korra asked.

"I have latched onto this amazing idea yes."

"Goddamn." Mako necked the remainder of his drink, "It'll be no longer than a minute, and _no filming_."

"You people make me so happy!" Opal splayed the cards and everyone snatched, licked and slapped them on their foreheads. There was a moment where cerulean and emerald clashed, and Korra and Asami smiled wide gesturing with their hands for the split second before they realised that Korra had the lowest card, and Asami the highest. The howling laughter fell on deaf ears to Asami, all she could hear now was the thrumming of her own heart beat.

Opal shot to the DJ booth like a monkey from a box. Bolin yanked Korra's chair back with her still in it, the card dropped off her head, but the only thing she let her hands grab was her drink and the seat.

"Opal what am I doing?" Asami seethed as Opal darted back, the music somehow more bassy that it was controlling the beat of her heart.

"Oh come on! I know you've been dying to do this!" she squeaked ripping the bottom of her shirt buttons and tying them into a knot and damn near flipping her to face her victim. Who's eyes widened before she dropped her drink.

Asami bit back her smile, unaware that her lip nibble wasn't doing anything to improve Korra's cognitive thought processes. For once what she wanted to do, and what she should do were completely one and the same, so she took a step. Stopping only when her knees where in-between the soccer players. _Thank God I wore short shorts today,_ was the last thing she thought before losing her mind to glowing tan skin, half lidded crisp blue eyes, and the delicious jewels of sweat forming on her throat.

She leaned forward at the hip, sweeping her hair over her head, the heiress brought her face parallel to Korra's, she couldn't hear her breath skip, but she felt the jolt in her thighs now under her hands. She brought her lips to her cheek and gave a light, deft kiss, before leaning back agonisingly slow. She could sense every millimetre of Korra's clenched fists against her knees. As she drew back she nudged them hooking her fingers through her littlest fingers and raising her palms to her hips in perfect symmetry. Looking at Korra's face then she couldn't read the expression. It wasn't uncomfortable, it wasn't happiness or fear or anything Asami had seen on her best friend prior, it was new, challenging. She looked at her with conviction, and swagger and without even parting her lips she had told Asami exactly what she was thinking. _I dare you._

So Asami turned, on the spot, Korra's hands sweeping across her abdomen and lower back, before the heiress let herself fall back. Her hips met hers and rolling them left and right, and then dragging down at the skin of the tops of Korra's thighs.

As she stood straight again, Asami thought maybe that this was possibly the worst thing she's ever been a part of. That, with the help of her trusty childhood friends, she'd crossed a line she was never meant to touch. Until _finally,_ she felt the younger woman's hands palm her ass through her shorts.

What happened next was almost entirely instinct, she turned again, taking one step to the left and sweeping her leg over, straddling her, grinding her hips into the Korra's abs. She wasn't sure where Korra's hands would stay now, thigh, back, shorts, so she grabbed them and put them at the top of her thighs as she moved, all the while her forehead had fallen forward into the apex of Asami's chest.

The heiress was glad of the thick music that disguised the embarrassing noise she was sure she made when Korra lifted her, a move that resembled impatience. She held her legs high either side of her waist, took two strong steps and straddled the chair backwards, keeping Asami pressed between her body and the hardwood. Letting go of her thighs so she could use the chair as leverage, grinding her hips right back, dragging her lips over the heiress' pale neck. Asami let out a surprised yelp at the feel of her tongue and strong hands parting her legs at the knee.

It was then Korra seemed to catch herself. Relinquishing her grip, reluctantly removing her mouth from Asami's skin and standing straight.

"That was _amazing!"_ Opal gushed. Korra already had her back to them, finishing her drink and motioning that she was going to get more. All the while Asami felt like a light switch that had been turned on and the person who did it left the room without a thought about how this would affect the environment. _Dick!_

She brought her legs together, as she realised how she must look and stood so fast that the chair fell back, following Korra, not catching her until she'd already been given her drinks at the bar.

"I was going to buy you a-" Korra began, at the same time Asami said.

" _I'll get those,_ " Asami slapped a hundred on the bar without even looking.

"That was quite a show ladies, you've caught my interest-" skinny blue eyes was back, tossing his hair back like he was gods gift. He was once again caught in a chorus of _"Not interested."_ but this oblivious tool thought he was on the trail of a threesome, completely ignoring the way the two old friends were looking at each other. He wasn't the type to take no for an answer, so to strengthen his chances, he sprinkled a dust into their drinks while they were lost in each other.

"You meant that?" Korra asked, "All of it?"

Asami raised her hand and held the back of Korra's gorgeous head of hair, and brought her lips to hers in an almost bruising kiss. Using the edge of the bar as leverage she pulled her whole body into her, hips pressing into hers as Korra's arm fell across her back. Tilting her head taking her lower lip in hers and biting it slightly before parting.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" the man crowed, putting his hand on Asami's shoulder and trying to turn her, thanks to alcohol and loss of mental balance she did. He was about to lean in when Korra punched him harder than she'd punched anyone before in her life. It split the skin of her own knuckles and the man crumpled to the ground in a surprised heap.

Korra whined and shook her fist.

" _Crap_ that hurt!" Asami took her hand and caught her gaze again. She was about to lean in when she heard the yell of the bouncer, and grabbed Korra's wrist with both hands.

"I feel like we should run from the scene of this crime."

"I second that. Finish the drinks and then Bellagio?"

XXXXXXXX

"Oh my god she punched that guy!" Asami remembered.

"What guy?" Bolin asked.

"Creepy McFeeluperson. I don't know! The drunk guy that tried to kiss me after I kissed her."

"Jesus you leave us alone for all of three seconds and you almost end up in a threesome!" Opal berated.

"Given her current trajectory is it really that surprising?" Bolin commented, grinning to himself, before catching both girls surprised stares, "Sorry."

Asami shook it off as more and more of the memory came back to her.

"I think we left to go to the Bellagio after that."

"Do you think she left because of a debt she racked up?"

"Korra knows she can talk to me about anything no matter what the trouble and that I'll help her _any_ money troubles,"

"…and sexual favours, and tax rebates and free eggs from your adopted chicken baby."

"Opal! Not helping!"

"We'll do what we said we would before, retrace your steps, you've only got a few hours before they throw your wedding pictures out anyway, I say we go get them, and then hit the Bellagio and see if you remember anything there."

"Thank you _Bolin._ "

They grabbed purses, jackets, sunglasses and chickens and headed on out of the hotel. It looked, for a moment like leaving the hotel would be an easy part of their day, alas looks can be deceiving,

"Is he picking up." Bolin asked.

"No I can't get through to Mako either."

"I'm sure he's fine I bet he went to bed the right side of midnight. What are we going to do without a limo driver?"

"Public transport?" Asami offered

"The _horror_." Opal smiled trying to make light of things. Asami was still struggling with the urge to give in to fear induced vomit.

Glad of her sunglasses to block the sun, they clearly weren't doing much to hide Asami's identity. Immediately they were mobbed, or were about to be if not for Zaofu hotel staff blocking the paths of protestors.

"Those aren't even good signs." Asami mumbled.

 _GOD HATES FAGS_

 _WEB WHORES OUT_

 _ONE MAN ONE WOMAN FOR LIFE_

 _FUTURE INDUSTRIES ARE NOT IN MY FUTURE!_

" _You people have infected our children with your trashy disgusting whoredom_!" A woman screeched, and Asami clocked them, seeing red she marched towards them. Only to be held back by Bolin.

"Maybe you should be an actual _fucking parent_ and make sure your kid isn't looking for gay porn on the internet!"

" _How does it feel to have fucked that soccer dyke on Periscope and let everyone in America know just how much of a sinning whore she is Sato-Bitch_!" the man beside her added.

"It might interest America to know that _the accidental_ filming of our having sex was consensual, and well within the laws of _marriage!_ And I was giving her more pleasure with one _finger,"_ Asami proceeded to raise her wedding ring finger as though cursing him with it, "Than you could ever do to a woman with two hands and a fucking flash light."

"Asami you don't want to give them any ammo." Bolin warned, turning her.

"I know but I just, I hate to hear anyone talk about Korra that way." She caught his smug expression and started walking to where the staff were pointing her to, blushing all the way. "Shut up."

Meanwhile Opal was sticking her tongue between two fingers and pulling the most vulgar facial expression imaginable to the new people.

"Come on Padme." Bolin picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, so he could walk and she could continue behind his back. "Hey look the limo is right here."

"Wu must've known we'd need him." Asami mused tapping on the tinted window. There was a faint stumble and a muffled _shit._ And before anyone inside could act Opal had ripped open the passenger side door.

"Oh. My. Fuck."

"What?"

"Bolin don't look!"

"My eyes!" he shrieked covering them and planting his face on the hot side of the car.

Asami stepped around and saw Wu, covering his dignity with his shirt. Mako by this point had no dignity but his genitals were aptly covered by Wu's driving hat.

"This entire vacation is a complete fucking train wreck."


	4. Chapter 4

This was the worst hangover Korra has ever experienced. She could feel every muscle in her well oiled machine of a body, and each and every one was screaming. Like actually screaming. There was a shrill tone in the air that was drilling into her cerebral cortex. She groaned, stretching, taking comfort in the fact that she was gloriously naked on this marshmallow, so at least she had that going for her. It wasn't unusual for her to wake up like this way, the Alaskan native hadn't acclimatised herself to sleeping with a blanket on warm nights, or at all, or pyjamas. Which it wasn't a surprise to find that she had bunched up the tent of a duvet to the left side of the bed.

Still that wasn't her concern, she snatched her phone from the bowl beside her, eyes still closed and pulled it to her ear.

"Hell- _oh christ that hurts_!" She reached up to push on her temples and flinched to find that not only was her hand bandaged, she'd just dipped it in blood.

"Yeah that does not surprise me. Good morning Korra, my name is Dr. Varrick, I'm a resident at Sunrise Hospital. I've been going over your test results from last night and there have been some anomalies that require follow up inquiry."

"What, uh I don't remember going to hospital last night. I don't actually remember last night incidentally and I have a massive headache and I kind of want to curl up and die."

"I would not recommend that kid, I just got your blood test back and hold on, _Nurse, the thing_ …yes. We've found traces of a hell of a rohypnol cocktail in your blood stream."

"Holy son of a fuck."

"Couldn't agree more with ya kid, now I'm sorry to ruin your morning like this but you need to come in so we can measure just the extent of the damage done to your liver and brain and other such vital organs."

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Well hurry up with that and come down here. Las Vegas General. Ask for Dr. Varrick or failing that Nurse…Zhu Li."

"Ok," Korra's voice was both hoarse and strangled with fear, " _Wait Doc,_ "

"What's shaking?"

"My head is also bleeding like a lot."

"Hey look at that two birds." Varrick hung up.

Korra could barely open her eyes, whether it was due to the glare or the alcohol or if she had a black eye she couldn't actually tell. She fumbled blindly for something to wear. She dialled Mako on her phone, and it rang and rang as she power walked through the room to the elevator.

" _Mako_ pick up your damn phone! I'm going to the hospital I need you to meet me there. _Somebody drugged me!_ I might actually need a cop on my side. _For real this time._ And I think I got in a fight last night I don't know. Uh don't tell Asami…or Bolin or Opal, I wouldn't want them to worry."

She ended the voicemail just as she hit the reception. She ran her hand through her hair in the hopes of some self grooming before facing the outside world.

"I'd like to order a cab to Sunrise Hospital please."

"Certainly ma'am." The clerk bent his head for a while, clicking and typing at a lightning speed, but then paused, doing a double take of Korra's face. He was halfway between blushing and gushing before asking, "Wait a minute are you..?"

"Yes thats me, Korra. MVP." _This guy must be a soccer fan._

"Oh man that's _awesome!_ So you just came back from it?"

"Yeah a little while a go. Best experience of my life. Not enough camera's could capture it you know?"

"Wow you are so cool. You must've made like cultural _history!_ Can you sign my phone? It's not a Sato phone but who cares!"

"Wow. I didn't know many guys were into that sort of thing?" She gingerly took his cell and waiting sharpie, squiggling her name in the bottom corner.

" _Are you kidding?_ I know loads of Men _love what you did!_ Plenty of girls too! _"_

"Well I should hope so!"

"I gotta ask - how did you get her to go along with it?"

This guy sounded like a real fan, probably the biggest Korra had ever met. He must've read about her famous rivalry with their striker Kuvira, who was insufferable when it came to taking orders from her captain. It was a complex and long winded situation, but in the last minutes of the final, she stopped screwing around they pulled together to score the winning goal. So Korra gave a concise answer.

"Well it wasn't easy. I just kept kicking the ball at her until she starting doing what I wanted." She heard her cab screech outside, and waved goodbye to the man's now frozen grin.

Korra couldn't help the way she shivered the whole way to the hospital, adrenaline and fear came together in glorious fashion, and it made it a nearly unbearable ride as her mind spiralled. _Why would someone drug her?_ And of course she thought of the worst possible answer for that question.

She looked at her reflection the window, and caught sight of the dark mouth shaped marks on her neck, She pulled at her vest to follow the trail. When she saw that they were on her breast too she stopped looking, crossing her arms and curling into herself. She suddenly felt helpless and violated, and the fact that everything screamed that she had had sex last night made every other pain in her body more agonising.

Suddenly she wanted nothing more than Asami to be with her. She had been her safety blanket once, despite the distance they'd had recently it was always what she felt on her darkest days. Her long fingers brushing her hair from her sweat slicked forehead, usually so she could kiss it. Arms gingerly feeding around her, only to tighten and fit her body perfectly along hers. Falling asleep with her chin on her temple.

"You okay there doll?" She flinched, and looked up, they'd arrived, and she reached into her pocket for any money, hoping that this man might see she was dying inside at whatever she could give him. Lo and behold the unfurled her fist to give him two scrunched up ten dollar bills and a skimpy bikini top. The was a moment of complete silence where they both regarded her offering.

"How short am I?" she managed to squeak out.

"That'll do sweetheart." She caught his grey eyes in the rear view mirror, "I hope everything turns out okay." She swallowed the lump in her throat, sniffled and ducked out of the back seat.

"Thank you," she added, just before he drove away.

When she came in a tall doctor with long brown hair, a pencil stash and easy smile greeted her.

"Holy hell! What happened to your face! I'm just kidding you came in much worse than that last night. Hah, come with me."

If her hand didn't hurt so much she might have punched him with her good one.

"What's happening to me?" she asked, her voice weak already.

"We've got your blood, we just need an MRI to check on everything else and we can get you the help you need." Varrick assured, finally recognising that she was a patient in pain. "Also the police want to talk to you."

She nodded, following him, allowing herself to be walked through a change in clothes and shoes and what would occur in the machine, all the while wringing her left wrist with her right hand.

"Now you can't have any jewellery or metal on you during the procedure because of the magnetism."

"I gave you my phone."

"And the jewellery?"

"I never wear jewellery I always end up losing it."

"Really?" Varrick asked, before turning back to yell to the control room, "Zhu Li, do the thing!"

There was a whirring sound and the machine came to life, in that instant her left hand smacked against the frame. The ring on her finger that she had no idea was there up until this point became stuck to the contraption.

"It's a dangerous time when people think I'm stupid." Varrick remarked holding out his hand for the band. "I'll keep it safe I promise."

She worked it off, and inspected it gingerly, no diamonds, just an engraving.

 _My missing piece. A._

She clapped her hand over her mouth and had tears spring to her eyes.

 _Korra remembered a day when Asami had been in bed with her when she was bed ridden. Hours of action and horror movies later, Korra had rolled her eyes at the nth woman in the films who'd fallen in love despite the circumstances, birth, violence, a zombie apocalypse._

 _"I give up, love is ridiculous."_

 _"You just haven't found the right person yet."_

 _"Inform me o' wise love master, what is so special about people?"_

 _"Not people, that person…" Asami was smiling softly to herself, as if just the idea of this person could make her happy for the rest of her days, "It's like a high power engine, they run fine on their usual designs, if you give it standard oil, and standard check ups and don't add anything, it's fine. But when you add that little something to it, that missing perfect piece, it sings, and it's the best ride of your life."_

 _"You're saying you'll meet someone you've never met before and poof! Jet engine. Bam zoom straight to the moon."_

 _"I could just change my opinion about someone I already know." Asami offered._

 _"Well that shoots that theory in the ass," Korra switched on Netflix and put on Tucker and Dale Vs Evil._

She dropped the ring in Varrick's hand, now relatively numb from a combo of morphine and nostalgia. Sliding into the machine, she began to recall little details of the night before. Blurring lines became focused. The scenes and buildings set and as she lay her head back to enjoy the ride The Bellagio casino filtered into the forefront of her mind.

XXXXXXXX

"Ladies."

Korra adjusted her balance over Asami, and the back cab seat, to move her mouth from her neck to give her a hard kiss. Asami keened slightly in response and brought her calf higher on the back of Korra's thigh, drawing her even closer into her body.

" _Ladies."_ the gruff voice was louder this time, and this coupled with a honk of the horn prompted Korra to stop amid grinding her hips into Asami's. "You have arrived at your friggin' destination thats forty six dollars and fifty."

Korra reluctantly pulled away, flexing, and cracking her bad hand at the release of the leather as she sat up and fed her hand into her own pocket.

"Korra-" Asami sounded like she was about to insist but at that first word the soccer player reaffirmed her intention with a press of her firm lips.

" _Asami_." She gave a smug grin as she wove her fingers back into her hair and held her face close enough to pepper light kisses on the perfect skin. Asami snickered and closed her eyes to absorb the moment. Cupping either side of her neck and drawing her thumb over her refined jaw.

"Your change?"

"Keep it." Korra said in a voice as sweet as honey, without even looking, yanking the door open and holding it for the heiress. When she was stood next to her under all the street lights, it was especially breathtaking when a breeze swept the strip and Asami swept her hair from her eyes. Her confidence wavered in the light of this goddess, the grandiose fountain and its heavenly display. She reached up to grip the back of her neck before asking.

"You don't think the others will miss us?"

"I'm pretty sure they'll figure it out. What with the grinding and all." Suddenly Asami looked just as nervous in the wake of the new space between them, it was the first time her mind had been working long enough to not think about just Korra, her lips, her intoxicating eyes, her legs wrapped around her. She would have to thank Opal one day.

"Do you think we should call, or wait up?" Korra was surprised by the vigour with which Asami shook her head. Without pausing she stepped back into Korra's space and takes her top lip between her own. Korra had to hold onto her hips for stability, mouths fused and the heiress' fingers pulling her closer and curling into her shirt, she would never get used to this affectionate Asami.

She'd never seen her go from zero to sixty like this either, it was if there was something about this place that made her want cash in on all the crazy she'd missed out on. This was so good for her, after everything that had been dumped on the heiress, this was what she needed. As she pulled away she breathed.

"I don't want to share." and Korra knew then that she was cashing in on more than just teenage wild antics, that this thing between them all these years hadn't been imaginary. The way she was kissing her was a woman deprived of air, and now she was taking what she could get. _Fan-fucking-tastic._

She moved past her mouth and buried her face into her neck, and held her, just like she always wanted to. The only reason Korra wasn't matching her intensity was because she knew she could surpass it. She keened when Asami held her back, long arms around her shoulders.

 _"Fuck her right in the pusssaayyy!"_

They sprang apart when a honk and a yell from a speeding car, the initial shock over they broke into fits of laughter.

"Bellagio," Korra reminded, herself mostly, she wanted to make this a night Asami would remember. If they were going to do Vegas. They were going to do it right.

Knotting their fingers she led her in through the grand doors. She considered that maybe they were a tad underdressed but it wasn't like they looked like strippers, completely. Not in comparison to the women in front of them by the bar.

They were a bachelorette party, clad in rainbow colours and pink veils. The women watched with fascination as the girls downed a variety of tube shots and fell about laughing.

Two brunettes in the centre kissed in celebration, and their friends whooped and cheered. The darker haired woman of the two pulled back, green eyes sparking as her fiancé teased strands out of her bun. It was in her joking jerk back that she caught sight of Korra and Asami, holding hands, she beckoned and yelled at them.

"LES-BE-FRIENDS!" The bachelorette party chorused, and Korra and Asami were suddenly buffeted by hugs, introductions, shots and rainbows. Korra was ecstatic, grinning from ear to ear, happy to have Asami freely kissing her cheek in open unbridled affection, with soccer fans no less.

She autographed a napkin for Kajri, the taller of the brides, when Asami caught her hand.

"Oh Grod Korra your hand is still bleeding."

"It's fine I can hardly feel it."

"Don't be ridiculous! It looks like you killed somebody." She grinned with pride, looking up and catching Hamu's, bride number two, curious gaze.

"I didn't!"

"Some lowlife thought we were gunning for a threesome and wouldn't take no for an answer." Asami matched her smile, combing her fingers lovingly though Korra's locks.

"Oh then you should have."

"Hamu!"

"What? Non-violently. She should have done it _non-violently._ "

"I thought soccer was a non-contact sport!"

"It is, look at her hand its pathetic." Asami teased, bringing her lips closer to her new girlfriends ear, "The knuckles popped like lil balloons!"

"Hey! I represent that comment!"

"She spends all her time at a stunt double riding compound in LA, The Temple, I think their antics rubbed off on her."

"You know Jinora?"

"I love Jinora!"

"I was her TA!"

"Holy shit this world is small!" Korra gushed, pin pointing how the lives of these strangers had only been a few miles down the road for years.

"You got a first aid kit?" Asami leant over the bar and hailed the barman. He hopped right up smiling. "My friends hand is all donked up."

"I'll patch it right up."

"Korra." Asami nudged her away from her new friends to sit on a bar stool opposite the barman.

"Go. Be social. I'm sure I'm in capable hands with…"

"Jin."

" _Jin_." Korra affirmed, pecking Asami lightly on the lips before shoving her towards the rest of the girls.

"Mind if I ask what happened? I'm not a cop. I'd totally tell you if I was."

"I punched some ass at a club who was bothering her. Like aggressively bothering. Felt it was best to wail and dash."

"How long have you loved her?"

"Wh-hat?,

"The tall girl? You're together right? I didn't mean to assume."

"N-no we're together. Not sure about love though." In Korra still rushing mind, she could only conclude that telling Asami how much she loved her now, would probably send her screaming for the hills.

"But that'll change soon right? I can see it in your eyes."

Korra looked down, unable to stop blushing as he methodically wrapped her hands. Jin smiled, tying off the wrap with a bow.

"Long time. Is the answer to your earlier question…The uh second one."

Jin smiled triumphant, and Korra wondered if he had pulled this Mr. Miyagi type wisdom before. She didn't have time to dwell, Hamu's friends were chanting.

"Craps! Craps! Craps!" and they were swept over to the gambling portion of the Casino.

Hamu blew the dice and Kajri rolled.

"We met at a buddhist retreat. We are already friends, but it was like we _met_ again."

"I'd watch her meditate all day instead of actually achieving any enlightenment."

"I was your enlightenment."

"I knew you were the first day." Kajri smiled and kissed her future brides' cheek.

"You just had to aggressively stare at me until I made the first move." Ham broke into giggles as Kajri feigned offence and tickled her into a sweet kiss.

"How did you two meet?" Hamu asked twisting in Kajri's arm. Korra was still sipping champagne when Asami put on her evil grin and replied unblinkingly.

"Tribadism,"

Korra snorted so hard it set champagne shooting into her nose and into a coughing fit. Hamu and Kajri broke into fits of laughter.

"She's not-uh-serious. With alcohol she's like ninety percent sarcasm." Asami ran her fingers through Korra's bangs to straighten her hair.

"Ninety two." Asami corrected, snatching the dice for their turn and leaning in close so her lips were at Korra's ear. "Roll a seven and you get to kiss me."

"You're on." Korra smirked, shaking the dice with extra vigour and springing them across the board. One five, one two. Seven. Korra turned to collect her prize, Asami's hands on her neck and her breath pooling on her lips. Korra used her bandaged hand to pull her in and captured her lips in a biting passionate kiss, it almost deafened her to the bachelorette parties enthusiastic screams. They certainly didn't catch Kajri mutter,

"I kinda believe the tribadism thing now."

"Bet you can't do that again." Asami said softly,

"What are you willing to bet?" mouthed back, curling her fingers around the dice.

"Whatever you want." Asami punctuated this with a kiss to her throat, biting.

"Holy fuck you're perfect." Korra dropped the dice after her momentary lapse in word vomit.

Four and three. She barely caught the sight before Asami kissed her hard again, sucking her tongue in her own mouth and pawing at her perfect muscular back. Her hips pressed her into the table. This was like no high she had ever been on before, as Asami raised her knee and brought it between her legs, she found both hands gripping her tighter and her mouth falling away from her neck, whispering something she had only intending to think.

"One more and we get married tonight,"

Asami grabbed the dice and tossed them.

" _Yes_." Stepping out from her legs and pulling on her hand for the exit without even looking at the dice to see if they were blessed. They practically sprinted out of the Bellagio, so fast they couldn't hear Hamu and Kajri yelling after them.

"Korrasami! You guys just won like _eighty grand!_ "


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as the machine stopped its hum Korra sprang from it, storming past Zhu Li, no doubt telling her she could go into the next room, straight to Dr Varrick balancing on a spinning chair.

"Last night! Did I come here with anybody? Was it a tall gorgeous woman with green eyes and dark hair and pale white skin and-"

"A chicken yeah, we don't normally let animals into the building but your wife was quiet insistent. That and we couldn't physically pry her freakishly strong _man hand_ off of yours to treat you."

Korra's head spun and she had to sit down, as _wife_ echoed in her head. _It actually happened. I actually married her._ Despite all that had come back to her she still couldn't recall the wedding, or even how she ended up in the hospital.

"Can you explain my face?" She asked, motioning to the re-hashed stitches weakly with her good hand.

"You guys couldn't even explain the chicken." Varrick chuckled, marking things off his clip board before motioning towards her scans. "As far as I can tell there's no long term damage, nothing that cant be connected to a night of heavy drinking, and thankfully the rohypnol should pass out of your body within a day or so."

"Thanks for that completely new information." Korra gave a thumbs up.

"Better safe than sorry kid, and that's not all you're here for. Why don't you get dressed, I've got the Chief of Police waiting to speak to you."

"If I was with Asami I'm sure there's no need-"

"Trust me kid, you're gonna want to hear what she has to say."

If it were possible her stomach dropped even further sickeningly. Varrick produced the ring and presented it in his palm to her. Korra took it, thumbing the engraving in what she knew would become her new favourite habit, before slipping it back onto her left hand.

Korra was led to a private room to change, after a few minutes a tall, grey haired woman stepped in the room with Dr Varrick and a tablet.

"Good Afternoon Korra…How are you feeling?" The woman added after some deliberation, it was clear she didn't often deal with these cases personally often.

"I'm feeling okay. Recovering I should say."

"Describe your morning to me, what do you remember?"

"I don't get this, aren't you supposed to tell me what I've done?" Korra reached up without thinking to touch the base of her throat, touching the hickeys that she hoped Asami had given her. "I woke up after Varrick called, alone and got a cab here. I didn't remember anything from last night."

"And now?"

"I think I might have gotten married."

"You did more than that kid."

"Okay I'm Twenty Five. Just tell me _what did I do?_ "

 _"_ Given your reaction its safe to say you haven't been online at all today. In the early hours of this morning, you and your partner, broadcasted yourself having sex on an app called _Periscope,"_ Lin paused, gauging Korra's reaction after she turned on the tablet and showed her a youtube feed. "The video has since gone viral. Given that you were flagged for a 'date rape' drug in your blood test..."

Suddenly Korra understood what they suspected. Reflecting on the heiress' sudden, almost frantic nature from the night, she knew she got swept up in the glory of seeing her again, almost too easily. She bowed her head and thumbed her ring, clinging to the idea that this was all as pure an romantic as she hoped it was, but there it was, a seed of doubt. Asami had been gone for a long time, and she had missed her every second, but should she let that cloud her judgement for how the night ended.

"You think she gave it to me?"

"Without her side of the story, it's not something we can confirm. Given these videos though, you may have a case against her."

"Show me."

XXXXXXXX

Mako had himself dressed while Bolin vomited in a nearby bush, meanwhile Opal and Asami sat in the cool dark of the limo, watching a sleeping chicken in shell shocked silence. When Mako ducked inside he put himself on the far side of Asami, knowing his brother would probably sit beside his girlfriend.

He dared not look up from his linked hands, knowing he'd find some kind of smug-evil combo grin on the stunt doubles face. He decided instead to talk to Asami, who's antics he had been filled in on during the half naked shouting match he'd had with his sibling as answers to the question.

 _Where the fuck do you want to go at this time of day!_

He hadn't the energy to laugh, still he felt the awkward tension heavy in the air, and decided it was up to him to try and make light of something.

"I can't tell who's in bigger shit…" he began, closing his eyes at his choice of words, he and Asami both pointed at Opal and snapped,

" _Shut up!"_ before she could snark a comment,

"I still don't know whether Korra hates me or not. I've potentially lost the best friend I've had in my entire life." Asami mused hollowly.

"I think Wu and I have scarred Bolin for life." Mako mumbled, putting his head in his hands. He was roused out of his funk by the stifled, husky chuckles of one Opal Beifong. Looking up, her eyes were watering, and cheeks puffing and when their eyes met she had to cover them, concentrating on keeping her giggles inside. "For the love of God what woman?"

"Y-You said eheh, that- that you would make Asami pay him more because of the kiss…I suspect she owes him the company now!" Opal lost it at the last word, burying her face in the leather to cackle loudly into it.

"You know there's not a lot of space in the front there… We kind of had to move around so your face is actually…" Mako chagrinned.

"Ew, Mako EW!"

Asami shot him a quick smile, gleeful that somebody finally got her back.

When Bolin stepped inside he took a bottle from the mini bar and swigged to get the taste out of his mouth. Wu gunned the engine, and they began to cruise.

"For the record," Bolin began, not looking away from the rolling streets out the window, "I just vomited because I saw your junk. It doesn't matter to me who you're with. So long as your happy."

He folded his arms and leant his head to look at him, and even managed a smile.

"Thanks Bo."

"Okay don't talk to me I keep getting flashbacks." He buried his face in his girlfriend's chest and she scratched his head to soothe him. Asami watched him nuzzle her breasts and her giggle at him, and suddenly all she could think of was how much she missed Korra. Taking out her own phone she pulled up her contact.

As much as she dreaded the conversation she had to know she was okay. So she called. And it rang out. She let out a sigh that was relief choked with misery.

"Give Wu the address for the chapel, maybe the pictures will show us something." Opal pulled her gaze away from her cell. She pulled the marriage certificate out, ripping off the receipts taped to the back.

 _Taku Wedding Chapel and Day Spa_

 _1 Marriage ceremony_

 _1 Framed Certificate_

 _1 30x40 Canvas Wedding Photo_

 _1 Photo Album_

 _4 T shirts_

 _1 Printed Dining Set_

 _2 Printed Photo Mug(s)_

 _2 Rings_

 _1 Printed Toilet Seat Cover_

 _1 Lifetime of Happiness_

"Wow you guys really went all out." Mako mused.

"I can't believe they charge for happiness!" Asami nearly yelled, she didn't know what she was more mad at, that they could get away with it, or that it wasn't working right now.

"Do you think you can get a refund?" Opal chuckled, but stopped when Asami glared at her. The heiress could feel tears pooling in her eyes. Frantically she wiped them and went to tell Wu where to go. When she sat back down she let Mako tug her into his shoulder, she must've looked as weak as she felt.

She clutched the frame to her chest and let Mako carry the now awake and pecking chicken. When she stepped out of the limo she felt the tickle of grass on her toes. A patch of it lined either side of the path to the chapel. Opal and Bolin headed up to the pink building, the neon bell and flower signs were dim, and Asami hoped it looked more romantic at night than it did during the day.

The doors sprang open and an old woman, with white hair, pale green robe and an incredible amount of rings stuffed onto her old gnarled fingers, came out.

"Hey there!" Bolin greeted, "we're here to pick up some wedding photos."

"Miyuki!" the woman crowed, pointing at Mako. "Have you been getting in trouble with the fire nation again!"

"Oh Kay this might not be the right place," Opal mumbled craning her neck to see if their was a neighbouring mental hospital around. The crone marched over to Mako and snatched the chicken, who seemed to preen and purr in the woman's hands as she fussed over her.

"No no, I remember Mrs Sato. Such a beautiful bride, such a wonderful service, such a fast and well functioning American Express card…your prints are ready, say where's Mrs Sato?"

"She's um…Not here." Asami couldn't even bring herself to lie, but the old woman didn't seem to react one way or another, she led them inside, and started pulling out their already gift wrapped purchases.

As they waited Mako started to fumble around his back pockets.

"Uh Mako," Opal caught him and he froze, "why are you grabbing your own ass?"

"I can't find my phone."

"Mako your pants are on backwards."

He shrugged and reached into his front-back pocket, and pulled out his cell.

"I got a message from Korra!" he announced.

"Put it on speaker!" Bolin yelled.

"No wait!" Asami grabbed his wrist, "You listen to it on your own and then you can tell us if its good or bad."

Mako nodded and put the phone to his ear, "It's _your_ wife."

As he listened his eyebrows drew inwards, a look he tried to hide by angling his head away from Asami. It was subtle, but still her heart dropped. When it was over he glared at his phone in disbelief.

"Is she okay?"

"She's at the hospital. She says she's been drugged by somebody and she got in a fight." He looked back at Asami, studying her expression.

"What? Mako you don't honestly believe I'd-"

" _Mako!"_ Opal scolded.

"Well you were with her! She doesn't drink much and it's not like she'd ever say no to you. I mean you were crazy last night!" It was natural for him to be protective of Korra, within the limits of the law of always suspected that he'd cared more for Korra than he ever had for anyone else thus far. Despite their break up there was still a lot of love there.

"Really? You're gonna make judgements on what crazy things we get up to whilst together! Mr Gay For the Stay!" Hurt flashed across his face, she knew she was being awful, but he'd picked a wound that had a mind, and verbal artillery, of its own.

"As if you've forgotten how long I was by her side after her accident. As if you think that I would take advantage of her like that! If I wanted to sink my teeth into Korra I could have told her when she couldn't say no to me, when she was too weak to walk or even think of herself in any kind of positivity." She fed her hands into her hair and pulled it out of her face, twisting the dark locks as though threatening to tear it out,

"I wanted to scream _I'm_ in love with you. But I waited until I knew she was okay because _that was what she needed!_ And last night it just, it all came crashing back, and I didn't want to waste another second, and I thought she felt the same!"

Her voice had cracked and tears were streaming from her eyes as she yelled. Just as she finished her tirade, Mako pulled her weeping into her arms.

"I'd never hurt her. _You have to believe me._ " she added weakly into his chest.

She was lost in her grief for a moment, until a buzzing thrummed through their embrace.

"It's Korra." Mako said raising his phone to give to Asami. She sniffled and wiped her cheek, before pushing it back to him and folding her arms over her chest so her heart didn't phase out of her chest.

"She called _you_." he nodded meekly, answering.

"Korra, are you okay?"

Asami wished she would consent to speaker, but she clearly didn't ask.

"She's here," Mako answered, "She's fine. Out of her mind worrying about you though… _Do you want to talk to her?"_ Asami clenched her fists tighter on her own arms, "Okay, in person does sound like a good idea." He looked at her as he confirmed, "Alone…with us nearby?…Sure. We'll head there now."

He hung up. A living embodiment of awkwardness.

"Um she wants to talk to you face to face. At the Bellagio, in the restaurant."

"How did she sound? Was she mad?"

"Calm. Like she knows what she wants."

Asami let out a breath in leu of what she wanted to say; _a divorce probably._

Asami folded the canvas under her arm with the frame, and the others carried the boxes out to the limo. She took a moment before getting in though feel the grass against her toes through her sandals. It was familiar, and reminded her of the night before.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you sure you," _smeck, "_ want to do this?" Asami asked between kisses. As neon lights skated past, she leant back on her knees and Korra's lap, who leant forward to recapture her lips. "Korra-"

" _Asami_." She fed her fingers the heiress' silk locks, letting her look her straight in the eye. It had been a while since either of them had drank anything heavy, and it showed. Her eyes were as clear as crystal, "If I didn't want to I wouldn't have asked. You did say yes."

"You have no idea how long I've dreamed about this, what it's been like being without you all these months…" She'd been lonely, and could never admit just how lonely. Not when it meant admitting what she missed most was the girl she was infatuated with. The first thing she thought about when she woke, and the last before she fell asleep, was Korra, and all the fantasies in all the universes they could have together.

Asami looked down between them, as though checking she could still squeeze Korra between her legs, before her eyes flicked back up.

"I think I have some idea." Korra smirked. "What are you worried about most?"

"Losing you." Asami replied without skipping a beat.

"You know you won't."

"What if we get a divorce?"

"So we get a divorce."

"Korra!"

"Nothing we do tonight will _ever_ be a mistake Asami. We're best friends, and that might not mean we're perfect lovers, or the perfect couple… although tonight it certainly feels like we are… I'll always be in your life and you'll always be in mine. No fancy piece of paper marriage or otherwise can change it. Pretty sure my parents like you better anyway."

"Well if you would call more often…"

"See! _Right there!_ You're already my wife! We've just been doing this long distance this entire time."

"That's different we weren't _dating."_

"You're my most _significant_ relationship. I spoke to you every day in some form and when people would ask me how I was, they'd ask how you were and nine times out of ten I could answer without even calling."

"That just doesn't make sense."

"What _is_ sense anyway?"

"Korra."

"Asami! Do you know how great it feels to kiss you? No you don't, so shut up, I'm not giving that up."

"I think you're a better kisser." Asami closed her eyes, "I heard it as soon as I said it shut up."

"Prove it. _Dork_." Korra smiled and pressed her lips to hers gently. "You took care of me like a wife would too. You didn't leave when things got tough. You waited for me to pull myself up. I will always be grateful to you Asami Sato."

Asami leant her forehead against hers and whispered.

"You mean the world to me."

"What would you say if I said that it didn't mean anything? Called it off, no harm no foul."

Asami studied her face for a second, her tone was light and though it didn't reach her lips her eyes were smiling. Korra understood how scary this was, she wasn't making light of it, and she would of course completely understand if she said she wasn't ready. Not a no. Just a not ready. It was logical. It made the most sense of anything all night. They could probably still sleep together sooner. She had been given an out and a choice, and with that in mind she knew that whatever she said could both be harmless, and also the truth.

"I'd say I want nothing more than to marry you tonight."

She barely got the last word out before Korra's lips took her top between her own, running her tongue over the tip in a sensation that would cause the heiress to use her grip on the backrest to press her body flush against her.

This time when they pulled into their destination, the heiress rushed to pay first, not quite noticing the grip Korra had on her thighs, so after she overpaid she was lifted out of the cab straddling her waist.

"Korra!" There was a misstep that sent them sprawling over the grass and Asami on her back. She began to laugh only to feel her best friends mouth pressing against the column of her neck. " _Korra,"_ she meant it as a warning, but it came out sounding like breathless encouragement. She could feel the glare of neon and hot pink reminding her why they were here. It reminded her of what she wanted, and so she took control.

The heiress fed her fingers into her short hair and directed her lips to Korra's ear.

"We're forgetting something important." This gave Korra pause, using her sculpted arms to hold herself above her friend as though to question. Meanwhile Asami was taking in every inch of this moment, the grass tickling her toes, her neck, Korra's hips moulded against hers and they way their bare legs were fantastically tangled. She took in a breath, and her fiancee's bright blue gaze before saying for the first time, out loud. "I love you Korra."

The younger woman smiled so hard she was afraid it might break her face.

"Wow that's so gay."

" _Korra!"_ Asami squirmed indignantly under her as she laughed, until Korra pressed more of her weight on her and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek.

"I love you too." Her voice was soft, and serious and as sweet as the heiress had ever heard it. "C'mon." She gingerly worked her way to her feet, pulling Asami up with her and leading her by the hand into the chapel.

They came to a front desk laden with silk and netting and a man behind it had a grin that bordered on the drug induced. His eyes took in the new customers appreciatively before opening his wide mouth to begin his script.

"Hello and salutations ladies! How might the Little Taku Wedding Chapel and Spa help you this fine eve? Facials? Massages? Unions of a marital nature?"

 _"Marriage,_ please _."_ Korra asserted her intent by raising their hands, confidence receding somewhat until Asami squeezed it.

"Excellent! Just to check, none of you are running away from home, the law, conflicting families, a Romeo and Juliet-esque type spiel or a green card situation are you?"

"Uh…No?" Asami answered.

" _Excellent!_ Excellent. We wouldn't want to compromise the sanctity or your union at all would we aha." He mused before turning towards the curtained archway beside the desk and yelling, " _MA! Customers!"_

There was a moment where shuffling noises of a woman approaching could be heard beyond the curtain, that and the occasional _buk_ from a relatively unknown source.

"How wonderful Blue! And such beautiful brides to be! Blue," She addressed her son, "Go into the back and get the veils, some rings, the unity potions-"

"Sorry what religion is this?" Asami asked, trying to remember a faith if any that indulged in the practice of potions. Looking around there were many emblems and sigils dotted about the room, but none dominated.

"Oh who remembers!" The woman cackled batting a hand and pushing her chicken into Korra's hands, as Blue returned. As he and his mother fussed over creating two bridal kits, the older woman added, "Now I can't say how proud I am that you wonderful girls have found each other and have decided to make your union here at Little Taku. I for one am very excited…and I do accept credit cards."

The chicken in Korra's arm shifted and crowed.

"Buk!"

"Yes American Dollars'll do fine." The Chaplain answered her and Korra and Asami exchanged a look. "Now, the pretty one with me," she took Asami by the hand and a kit into the back room, which now revealed to be the chapel.

"And the hot one with me," Blue turned to Korra veil in hands, he swished it over her head and expertly fixed it to her locks. When he turned again he had a ring in his hands. "What would you like engraved on hers?"

It didn't take long to think of an engraving for Asami, she put her desires in one heartfelt, if entirely cheesy line. That and it was one of the few phrases that repeated itself to her over the months of repressing her feelings. With a practiced hand Blue carved with a drill-like needle the words, _My Forever Girl,_ and left Korra to retrieve Asami's selection for her. Korra did her best not to ruin the surprise as he raised them towards her.

"Our professional ring bearer," he explained letting the chicken take them in her beak, who clamped onto them vigilantly. Korra eyed the tiny beast, waiting for it to rear its head swallow the jewels, yet it seemed content, so Korra hugged her tighter.

"Now garters, red or blue?" he held the ribbons out in his hands for Korra to inspect, one a deep merlot red, and another a light sky blue.

"Red." Korra answered taking it from him before he got any ideas about tying it around her thigh himself. She managed it with little difficultly, despite the chicken she had still been clinging to. She couldn't help but think the colour made her Chuck Taylor's look brighter, but was distracted by Blue, now leading her into a room, filled wall to wall with flowers.

"Pick a bouquet," he gestured.

"To hold with the chicken?"

"No one asked you to hold the chicken you know."

"You-"

"You look like a white lotus kinda gal." Blue went on, taking a bouquet off the wall and curling into Korra's hand, the one she had begun to gesture with in confusion. And like that she was at the curtain again, she could make out the rows of white chairs and the hanging of lanterns beyond the veil and and archway adorned with fairy lights. Her breath skipped in her chest as her heart beat an erratic pulse, she thumbed the stems of the lotus' in her hands and waited for some kind of signal to enter.

For perhaps a second she considered how much better it might be if the room were filled with her parents or her friends. But it passed just as quickly as it came when knowing Asami was out there, all she would ever need to be happy. Countless hours had already been spent imagining the days they would be together, waking up ini the same bed and, yes, even the days where they'd make each other so mad they could spit, but Korra knew her best day without her wouldn't even come close to her worst day calling her hers. Despite the strangeness of this situation, all she wanted was this, right then, and she doesn't remember the last time she smiled for this long, or the last time she felt this _euphoric,_ no alcohol or drug could ever achieve this feeling, this was all Asami Sato.

Music started to play, it wasn't a wedding march but it was close, it was less grand but more ethereal. Korra took it as her queue. She let Miyuki down by her ankle and she stayed, looking up as though waiting to follow, like a puppy would, not a bird.

"Don't screw this up." Korra scolded blankly, and the chicken let out what could either be interpreted as a mindless cluck or a worried bird-groan.

Korra stepped through, biting her smile as she watched Asami, twisting the stems of her lotus' as well. As Korra walked, the lights of gold and purple faded away, until all she could sense was the slender hand now slipping it's fingers between hers, and the emerald eyes keeping her hypnotised.

Without thinking she leant up on her tip toes to kiss her firmly, until her excited grin became too much to kiss back. Asami could taste her future on her lips it was almost too delicious to bear. The Chaplain cleared her throat, and they took a step back to give some respectable distance.

Blue snapped a photo and they both turned to glare at him. Until the Chaplain began to exclaim, loudly.

"I am Herba!" Korra took back Asami's hand for sheer safety at this point, "Chaplain of the Taku Wedding Chapel! In the name of the Earth Kingdoms, The Fire Nation, The Air Nomads and Water Tribes do you Korea-"

" _Korra!"_

 _"Yes Korra,_ take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife."

"I do."

"And Salami!"

" _Asami_!"

"Asami! Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife."

" _Yes_."

"Miyuki the rings!"

Korra almost frowned until she felt Miyuki pecking at her ankle, the rings in her beak. Korra chuckled and took them in her palm.

"If you have any vows…"

"I think it's already been said-" Asami began, but Korra blurted.

 _"You're the love of my life,_ " She brushed her knuckles across her blushing cheek before taking her calloused hand between her own, "You'll always have family with me, with this ring or without it,"

"With it please." Asami asserted, letting Korra feed the gold on her finger. She took her own and slipped it expertly onto Korra's left hand. She felt her heart palpate as she worked her brilliant mind to think of something perfect and romantic. "My love for you is as endless as this ring." _Goddammit,_ she thought closing her eyes and feeling her blush take over what was left of her pale skin.

"Wow that was great can I do mine again?" Korra teased.

" _Don't you dare."_

"If you would sign the marriage certificate yonder…" She gestured to the parchment that Asami would find in a frame in less than ten hours, but for then she took up the pen and signed her name with a flourish. Korra kissed her neck before she stood straight, taking the pen and signing the line below it, _Korra Sato._

Asami positively shrieked and threw her arms around her.

"Then in the power vested in me by the elements, Miyuki, Ravaa and the state of Nevada, I pronounce you wife and wife. You may kiss."

It was kind of a moot point by then. Asami had dipped her into a swooping embrace.

"Now for the unity potion!"

Herba raised a sherry glass of purple liquid for each of them. Standing straight the wives exchanged a look before shrugging and necking the shots.

"Goddamn! What is that like ninety percent proof!" Korra coughed.

"It tastes like burning." Asami wheezed.

"The Unity Potion is an ancient remedy, that contains a substance that promotes only the most loving and strongest emotional traits between two people. Be sure to drink the whole shot because once the liquid is exposed to oxygen for too long - it's useless!"

"You're insane aren't you?" Korra asked, her confused and indignant expression captured on Blue's camera.

"That's _right_!" Herba cackled crazily, flinging confetti from her sleeve above them, before taking the certificate to be framed.

"Photo's ladies?" Blue led the way to a room of many props and backgrounds.

The Unity potion turned the shoot into a haze-like affair along with the other drugs in they systems. Korra remembers the strong embrace Asami gave her first, and Asami the way her wife got down on her knees to remove her light blue garter with her teeth. Korra then kissed her way up her thigh to above her shorts, rucking up her vest top to lay kisses on her stomach. Asami was glad of the wall at her back to lean on as her mind swirled in the wake of Korra's perfect mouth, now creeping up her ribs. Ignoring the elephant and his camera in the room, even the chicken that was clucking in Asami's arm.

"I'll just go to uh…develop the hard drive- go clear the sink…" Blue mumbled nonsensically feeling like a red hot third wheel, "be right back."

Korra laughed against Asami's skin before standing up.

"The pictures won't be ready till the morning." She said taking their wedding certificate under her arm.

"I can think of a way to occupy our time." Asami crooned, pecking her lips before heading to the exit.

XXXXXXXX

 _MEANWHILE_

Tahno held a raw steak to his swollen eye. The night had only gotten worse for him since he had left _Triple Strip_ and been punched in the face by that frigid lesbian girl. Not only was he out of drugs, he'd had to call a ride from his smirking gang banger friend Two Toed Ping.

"You sure you don't want any Vicodin for the boo boo Tan Tan?" Ping crooned, turning onto a slower road, lining up behind row upon row of cabs.

"Fuck off Dipwad." Tahno snapped, training his good eye on the sidewalk.

"What are you looking for out there?"

"Anything to take the edge off."

"What you thinking this time? Blonde with legs for days? Or a red head with an ass that wont quit."

Tahno sat bolt upright in his chair now, removing the steak so he could see better.

"How about two dark haired ladies? One a little on the darker side."

"What are you talking about? After what you-oh," Ping smirked, catching what he was staring at. "Do you want me to park?"

Tahno watched them as they cruised slowly with the traffic, kissing in the grass, the shorter girl, pulling the taller to her feet and towards the Little Taku Wedding Chapel.

"No. We'll let them make their mistake. Then when they get out we'll jump 'em. Circle around the block." Tahno dropped the fillet and rifled around in Ping's glove compartment, until he came upon the thing he wanted, feeding his fingers through four brass rings.

Around two hours later, Korra stumbled out the building backwards, Asami attached to her lips.

Tahno kicked Ping awake and yanked his own car door open. He ran over in a raging storm and aimed his fist for Korra's temple, taken completely unawares she sprawled to the ground barely conscious.

Asami reacted instantly, crushing her palm, that wasn't holding Miyuki, against his nose and the top of her foot into his crotch, he shrieked and fell, and on the way down her heel clipped his head, rendering him unconscious. Ping came to the rescue, or at least tried to, hollering nonsensically he lunged for the heiress, and as he was in the air she reared back, planting her heel in his sternum. As Ping wheezed she wheeled to check on her new wife.

"Korra!"

"Ngh, m'face hurts Sams." Korra made a show of trying to sit up, but ultimately failed, hugging their wedding certificate to her chest and curling around it. "I can taste the weather."

Asami kneeled and turned her head to inspect her wound.

"God can you stop bleeding!" she exclaimed.

"I'll _try_." Korra squeezed her eyes tighter and grit her jaw, "Did it work?"

"It's unfair how fucking cute you are."

Asami turned back to the men on the ground and stepped on Ping's neck, applying just the right amount of pressure so that even a half conscious man could understand her threat.

"Stay _down_."

It felt like a miracle, but perhaps inebriated inhibitions plus the surge of adrenaline her freaky Krav Maga gave her, she managed to scoop up her wife, Miyuki and the frame and carry her twenty feet to a sidewalk to hail a cab.

"If you can get us to a hospital in the next fifteen minutes you'll get this," she threw two hundred bills in the front seat while cradling Korra's head, " _and_ I will buy you a limo."

"Cash'll do fine lady!"

XXXXXXXX

Korra watched her glass sweat, and was praying it wasn't obvious she was doing the same. She'd stopped looking on her phone at the evidence. Sure enough she'd diverged from the main content and found her way onto twitter feeds and public opinions on the youtube clips.

Since she'd called Mako she couldn't bring herself to touch it again, she couldn't bare it if she changed her mind. All she had in that moment was the occasional chill of ice cold water, and her heart beating so hard she could have sworn it was moving her entire body. She slipped her ring from her finger and started tracing the letters again, habitually, as though memorising the carving as she thumbed each individual letter.

She tried her best not to think about the memories merging with what she'd been told she'd done. The ghost taste of Asami's skin on her lips, the way her hand had kept her head balanced in the cab. Asami telling her she loved her. _Oh God this is too surreal, I should just-_ her train of thought dropped out of her head the second Asami Sato entered through the restaurant doors, frames under her arm, deer in headlights look squeezing Korra's heart. She stood so fast her chair fell back, and the heiress spotted her. Korra gave a meek wave, and struggled with her voice for a second before finally greeting her.

"Hey you."

XXXXXXXX

P.S I have no idea why all my page breaks keep going missing I swear I put them in!


	7. Chapter 7

When Asami reached the table she didn't know how to proceed. A hug seemed too intimate after everything that had come to light this morning, and a hand shake not intimate enough. She leant the portrait/package against the table and set the certificate on its edge.

Korra's gaze skated across it, and Asami watched as her eyes blinked in the sight and her throat swallowed. _Korra Sato,_ she thought to herself _, it does have a better ring to it._ Suddenly imagined running out into a stadium, SATO emblazoned above the number four. People cheering a fuller sounding name, rushing to the stand as Asami leaned over it to capture her mouth in a celebratory kiss like her other teammates with their spouses. She shook her head, and rescinded a hand that had been gingerly tracing the frame.

Despite being beside the table, neither of them had sat.

"How are you feeling?" Asami asked.

"Dizzy." Korra answered, tracing her new gleaming bandage, "I have a headache." Somehow their lips found smiles, but were wiped away when Korra cleared her throat, and pulled back a chair to sit, Asami followed suit.

"You saw the news then?" the heiress asked, voice wavering on the last word. Korra's blush told her everything.

"Yeah," she wiped her face, "It got around to me." she felt the gold against her cheek and pulled her hand out to play with it on her finger, "After I found this. I saw the engraving and I knew. That it was you…I'd, we'd you know."

"Gotten married."

"Yeah."

"My Missing Piece?" Asami guessed, despite what she had retrieved, it wasn't conclusive.

"Yeah, it's very you. I…liked it."

"Oh God Korra," Asami covered her face with her palms and leant her elbows on the table, "I'm so sorry about all this."

"Are you saying this is your fault?" There was something about her voice, Asami couldn't quite grasp it, but it wasn't humouring anything like usual. It might have been accusatory. She heard a scrape as Korra's nails gripped the table cloth. Panic rising in her throat like a bile, "That you could plan anything like this?"

"No! Korra no! I lost control I know but I would never-" Suddenly her throat closed up, anything she could say to defend herself became locked when she looked at the heartbroken expression on her wife's face. It was devastating and incapacitating at the same time. As she sat there vibrating with anxiety, jewel sized tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Completely unaware if they appeared at the thought of losing Korra, or the realisation that she already had.

"You did it because you're in love with me?"

"No! I mean yes I have feelings but-"

"I'm just trying to understand." She hadn't let herself consider that Asami had been the one who drugged her, but from where she stood, and what Lin and Varrick had advised her, she could have been capable of anything. Couldn't she?

" _Why I would drug you?"_

 _"I can't think."_ Korra felt mad tears spring to her eyes as well. Given the choices again that she remembered she knew she would do no different, but feeling tricked tainted _everything. She palmed her eyes as she spoke,_ "I woke up bleeding and naked to a phone call that said I'd been beaten up and drugged! When I got there all I wanted was you! And I saw the ring and _Christ_ I was so fucking happy!"

"Korra I was there, beside you this morning you just _missed me_ somehow."

"And then the police came and told me about the tapes and _their suspicions_ and theres this doubt like," she raked her fingers through her hair, as though trying to pull it out, "in _here_."

Asami ducked her head and looked down, unable to keep eye contact with those teary oceanic eyes that _didn't_ believe her.

"I watched the tapes." Asami groaned at that covering her face, "I've never seen myself so happy."

The heiress was already so drained she couldn't think of some witty comment to bite back with. She had no defence and she knew it, except her word.

"Asami look at me," the heiress felt Korra's cool hand on her wrist, the grip was light and her thumb traced an arc over her skin, "tell me you didn't do it."

"You'd believe me?"

"I can't imagine a world where I'd believe you did it." Asami let out a stifled breath at the glimmer of hope Korra dangled in front of her. Her wording gave her pause and panic, she couldn't imagine that world, but that didn't mean it didn't exist. She felt as though they were lost in a fog, as cruel as it was ironic.

"Korra you mean the world to me. I'd never hurt you." Asami gained confidence and wrapped her hand around her own, "I don't remember much of what happened last night but what's been coming back to me felt amazing. Being with you was amazing, even as a _friend_ and I'll stay that way I promise I'm so sorry I-"

" _You_ don't remember?" Korra seethed, and then stopped. "Oh God."

"I can't believe you'd even consider me doing this!" Asami gave off a breathless, disbelieving laugh, "I guess I come off as a sex crazed villain more than-"

"Some lovesick teenager? Does that seem more believable to you?" Korra interrupted almost hyperventilating, she was experiencing too many revelations at once, as well as Asami's touch which set her skin in a frenzy of exhilarating fire. Not only did she have the scope of the night leading up to their wedding, but the months before and all of Asami's subtle signals were there. She'd just been too hopeless to see it and now she'd ruined it with her stupid accusations.

"Holy shit its them!" The hushed, frantic whisper from somewhere else in the room sent their hands snapping back to themselves. Asami shut her eyes to block it out for as long as she could, she'd hoped Mako would be able to keep their sudden fanbase at bay while they talked. Korra seemed just as frustrated too eyeing the room with the her own death stare. Asami was surprised to watch it melt.

" _Jin_?"

"Hold on let me get my manager!"

"Are we getting kicked out?" Asami called after him but he had already leapt behind the bar and into a back room.

"Could be special treatment," Korra mused hollowly, "I autographed this guy's Sato Phone this morning."

"Why would you think that was appropriate Korra?"

"I didn't know I basically getting a high five for landing _you!"_

"Oh yeah, justified 'cause he must _really_ be into _women's soccer_." The heiress felt herself losing her cool at potentially the worse moment. "Thanks for filming us have sex by the way, as if I want another memento of this clusterfuck!"

Korra blushed hotly, impossibly looking more sick as Jin returned with his manager, a photographer and a large piece of cardboard.

They glared indignantly at the barman and his cronies as they snapped pictures and pulled the girls to their feet.

"Listen guys we're kind of in the middle of something here…" Korra began, but the man in the suit and managers name tag beckoned all the attention in the room, waiters circled with sparklers, and the lights were dimmed and a spotlight blinded them both. All the while Korra could tell Asami was drawing farther into herself.

" _Let it never be said that this casino fails to pay its dues to its beloved winners_! On behalf of the Bellagio casino and hotel, I would like to present to you this cheque of your prize money and as apology for the mix up, and our staff letting you leave, here is a pass for our best room, which includes a thank you muffin basket! Provided lovingly by the casino surveillance team for, and I quote 'putting on one hell of a show'!" The man finished and handed the passes to Asami and the cheque to Korra, snatching a hard handshake from her and grinning madly for the camera.

"Guys why aren't you excited?" Jin asked giving a thumbs up, "you're going to get your eighty grand!"

"What? Why? Eighty grand? What?" Korra clucked still reeling, she had never seen so much money even in cheque form.

"Suddenly why you left without it is getting clearer and clearer!" he chuckled, "You guys look like you had a rough night."

"Congratulations!" the manager beamed, and Korra feigned a smile. As the staff started to mill away, Jin actually began to measure the room.

"This is a fiasco." Asami seethed, but Korra was exposed to the expression of hurt on her face. "I can't do this."

"Yeah and we're kind of dealing with the consequences right now Jin." Korra grumbled, watching numbly as Asami gathered her canvas and started to march farther into the hotel.

"But…eighty grand?" Jin nudged the card and Korra laid in on the table.

"Well she's a millionaire so I don't think she cares… and I kind of want to pretend last night never happened so I could… I don't know do it over."

"I thought you said you loved her."

"Yeah well, turns out I was drugged by somebody last night!" Korra snapped, and then shot him an apologetic look. She felt wounded in more ways than one as Asami shrank into the distance, "Now I don't know what to think."

Jin considered her story for a second, remembering himself what he could when he met her at the beginning of his shift a few hours ago.

"Oh thats easy, _threesome guy."_

"What?"

"Yeah you remember that guy, _'aggressively bothering_ ' you and Asami. That you punched." he raised her bandaged hand gingerly. "That sounds like the kind of character to pull that kind of sick stuff."

"Holy shit."

"Yeah your girlfriend was kind of taking care of you. Is that why she's upset? I tell ya, other than your bloody hand, she wasn't in any better state than you at the time."

"I just fucked up way worse than that." Korra felt the call to act, finally, everything made sense. She shoved the cheque aside to whip up the marriage certificate, and run after her wife.

"What about the money!"

But again she was gone without considering it; darting in-between daytime gamblers and slot machines, searching for that flash of black silk, or a stream of white skin. Instead she saw the parchment of the frame wrapped up first. Between the elevator doors that were just beginning to close, Asami had her back to her leaning on the railing.

Korra kicked into high gear, sprinting the next ten feet as was her signature move, ideal for being in prime goal scoring position, but not for indoor carpeted halls, her toe clipped a wrinkle in the carpet which sent her sailing head first into the elevator.

Asami hopped to the side and shielded her parcel until she saw it was Korra scrambling to her feet. Or at least, trying to. As she twisted she had yet looked at Asami, she had lifted the certificate to her chest and gave a sigh of relief when she saw it was free of cracks. All the while gasping for panicked breaths. She fed one hand into her short locks, Asami recognised the expression on her face now, she'd seen it years ago, after nightmares. Trembling hands, eyes slammed shut, as though she were stood on the precipice of an abyss. It was impossible for the heiress to be mad at her when she got like this, and she acted as though there was no pain between them, because that was what she always did.

Asami got down on her knees and held her hands beneath Korra's jaw.

"Korra look at me, just breathe."

Korra's hyperventilating became what her fear always did; nervous breathless laughter.

"Oh God the club…that guy drugged _us_ at the club… and I thought you were… prissy… elegant too good to be true to…true to…" she managed a few words between gulping breaths of her panic attack.

"Shh shh." Asami hushed, "Concentrate on breathing. Raise your arms."

Reluctantly Korra unfurled her fingers from the frame, trying to ignore the sickening sensation of elevator ascension. Concentrating instead, on Asami's nimble fingers, raking beneath her biceps as she did as she was told.

"This is new." she managed sucking in a breath.

"I keep up to date." Asami muttered, guiding her arms high and then bringing them down, "keep doing that."

Korra felt her heart squeeze at that. Asami was an engineer, if she'd looked up medicinal practices, it could only have been for her.

"I need to talk to you."

"And we will. Keep going. We've got…thirty more floors."

"Twenty nine," Korra corrected, and flinched when Asami sucked in through her teeth, "What?"

"You're bleeding a little. Here." Asami pulled at the loose corner of her temple bandage, just enough to see the stitches beneath, "They haven't snapped. You just need to clean it."

" _I'm sorry_."

"Keep moving your arms."

"I know it wasn't you." Korra moved them so her fingers tangled with hers.

" _Korra_." She meant it as a warning only it came out as something else. Asami wasn't entirely sure. "You're right to have been scared." Asami reasoned quietly, tracing her thumb over Korra's good knuckles. "I can't imagine how scared you were this morning on your own."

" _I missed you_."

"I know."

"I'm sorry for ever doubting you."

"I know." Asami repeated.

"We were _both_ drugged. That's why you couldn't remember anything. I'm such an idiot."

"I _know_." Korra let out a surprised laugh and a smile started to pull at the heiress' lips at her own.

"I'm sorry for making you feel like I didn't love-"

Asami stopped her, surprising her with the press of her own lips against Korra's, who responded instantly, welcoming the kiss and angling her head to keep it firm. She tasted tears on her soft lips. Until the doors opened, and Asami sprang back,

"I'm _sorry_." The heiress breathed taking her things and marching down the corridor.

"Wait what does this mean?"

" _I don't know_. Korra."

Korra picked herself up and stumbled after her. Asami had stopped amid the corridor her back to her.

"You know I love you?"

"Yes."

"Do you love me?"

" _Yes_."

"And we're married."

" _Yes_." Asami finally turned.

"Then what's the problem?"

"It feels like it happened too soon, like there should be more."

"Like a mistake?"

"Like I'm _insane_. We got _Vegas-married_. People make films about how stupid this is."

"I meant it, didn't you mean it?"

"Had we been together long enough to mean it?"

"Just forget about what others might think about us. I've seen a thousand opinions today and you know what I've learned? I don't _care,_ they weren't yours."

"But what if it turns out to be wrong!" Asami finally turned.

"It's okay to be wrong Asami! It's fine to lose control!" The edge to Korra's voice made her seem both desperate and mildly furious, "It's _hunky dunky_ to let go! If you didn't we wouldn't know how either of us feels… _And_ now we can stop wasting time!"

"I…" Asami began and paused, rolling the passes for some room nearby in her hand. Korra didn't know if she was caught on an idea of she had just frightened it out of her head. Korra acknowledged in that absence of noise that she may have seemed like a total crazy person, so before Asami could get in her oh so eloquent rejection, she started a filibuster of her own.

"Okay look. The next logical step is to probably go about getting a divorce or and annulment…" _shit Korra this is probably the worst direction you could have taken this you muggle!_ "that is, of course, operating under the assumption that we want to be with anyone else…do you want to be with any one else Asami?"

Sickeningly, Asami did nothing. Her expression, blank and utterly, infuriatingly unreadable refused to change. Korra was unsure she was even going to respond until she did in an equally unnerving manner. She slid the pass into a nearby door and pushed herself inside it.

" _What kind of an answer is that?_ " Korra whined, storming after her, raising their wedding certificate ready to use it to A tear one or B shove into Asami as she slammed her hand on the door before it closed. But as she pushed she was blindsided by nimble hands scooping under her jaw, and was almost too surprised to reciprocate the lips that came crashing into hers.

Korra's heart pounded against her chest as she let her arms pull her flush against her, taking her answer as the heiress pushed her against the door.

"Wait," Asami breathed, feeling all too sober in this particular moment, "You want this right?"

"Oh my fuck yes. How is it you have no gay-dar even with my tongue down your throat?"

"How is Periscope a difficult app to turn off?" Asami cocked her brow, something of her evil self rearing itself that she was beginning to guess drove her wife crazy in a good way.

"Touché." Korra smiled as she closed the gap between them for a languid kiss, teasing a whine from the heiress as she tightened her grip and nibbled her lip. "Wait do you think we should-" _smeck,_ "-tell the others?"

 _"They can guess._ Actually give me your phone." Confused, but way, _way,_ too happy to turn her down, Korra fished out her cell and handed it to Asami.

"Hey look at that it still has battery." She commented before the engineer tossed it in through the nearest window with deadly precision and grace, barely even cracking the glass. "Hey!"

Korra's indignant tone faded as Asami smirked and dipped her head to kiss the column of Korra's neck. She felt her throat vibrate beneath her lips as she mumbled suddenly mindless.

"I'll buy a new one, shares in the company _all over the company fuck!"_ She could feel cool fingers tauntingly tracing her abs beneath her shirt, and her own hands on paths of their own, the left feeding itself into Asami's luscious black locks and the right clasping the curve of her hip, urging as she shifted and ground against her in a way that gave her the most delightfuldeja vu. _"Kiss me."_

 _PS I don't know what keeps happening to my page breaks but I've replaced them with XXXXXX so you can reread at your leisure sorry about the mix up HOHF_


	8. Chapter 8

"Four Bloody Mary's please." Opal asked the waiter as she adjusted her shades, and nudged Mako under the table with her foot, so that his head blocked the sun.

"I can't drink." Wu interjected hesitantly.

"They're just for her." Bolin explained.

"It's true." Opal shrugged and smiled sweetly at the waiter, who simply looked bored and hated that he had to serve in this heat. His glasses kept steaming up, and his name tag that read simply 'Riyu' felt like a branding iron on his chest.

"Coffee." Mako turned to Wu, "Green Tea right?"

"I do not want to know how you know that!" Opal shuddered, still grinning smugly in a way that irked the detective across from her.

"He had a flask of it in his _limo_." Mako shot back as Wu leant over so his chin rested on his shoulder.

"Good one Mako. My big tough guy." He grinned and they watched with glee as Mako's cheeks flared up.

"Not you too!" Mako whined. Bolin started laughing.

"Yeah you still need to order." The waiter deadpanned to him.

"I'll steal her blood." He leant over, chopped his teeth next to her neck and she slapped his cheek.

"Ugh." Riyu sighed, scratching on his pad before stalking back to the Bellagio muttering, "You people are the worst."

" _Wow the Bellagio has got nothing on Zoafu_. I agree person who said that!"

"You're _still_ drunk aren't you?" Mako asked.

"You're a cop you say?" Bolin asked and Mako flipped him off.

"Have been since we wrapped. I got a week until my next shoot - I'm afraid the cumulative hangover will literally kill me."

Bolin smiled at her and kissed her cheek, taking her in his arms before assuring.

"And I'll be there with bread, a blanket, and a bucket to puke your guts into."

"You people are literally sickening." Mako leaned back letting the sun hit the stunt-double, feigning a stretch and letting his arm balance on the back of Wu's chair.

"You think we should check on them?" Bolin asked, craning his neck to look inside the dark bar inside. Squinting to see past it to spot his friends inside.

"They're already married what other shenanigans can they get into?" Mako chuckled.

"Did someone say turkey baster?" Mako couldn't help the way his foot flicked out to clip Opal's shin when she muttered that.

"I think it's sweet." he seethed back.

"That you managed to turn both your exes gay for each other?"

"What does that say about me?" Wu interjected and Bolin barked a laugh before shrinking under his brother's gaze.

" _That_ they finally admitted it." Mako went on, "You heard the way they used to talk about each other. Smitten, the pair of them but too afraid to ruin the friendship. Yesterday was a long time in the coming."

"Yeah seven, eight? Times according to the tapes."

"Yeah aren't we mad that they didn't invite us?"

"Not exactly sure what the tone was when they hit that Chapel Bo."

"How about we find out?" Bolin grinned as he yanked the box of shirts, mugs, photo album and toilet seat covers. Flipping open the top he added, "Ho-ly shit."

" _Go Korra_ ," Opal laughed, lifting the photo album, the front photo of which was the soccer star on her knees, pulling Asami's garter off with her mouth. The shirts had the flash of their first kiss, as wife and wife.

"I'm wearing it." Bolin yanking out the light pink and switching it with his white vest. "Babe you have to convince them into having a redo with these in goody bags."

"On it," Opal grinned, pulling out a shirt of her own. They were all the same size, and considerably tiny on Bolin's broad shoulders, when she perused him trying to pull it past his abdomen. "I love it." she whispered grazing her fingers over his protruding pectoral muscles as though mesmerised.

"And what will they say if they catch you in those?" Mako warned.

" _You guys look sexy lets have a foursome."_ Opal smiled dreamily at the prospect and Bolin yanked her into his lap while she giggled.

"Like you could share." Bolin chagrinned to her.

"Sick-en-ing." Mako reiterated, as Riyu returned and gave out their drinks.

"Garçon!" Opal chirped, it took every ounce of will power for Riyu not to roll his eyes at her as she went on, "Have you seen a couple of far-out lesbians who look like this," she pointed to her chest, "inside?"

Riyu's bespectacled gaze lingered on the photo, and Bolin shifted her in his arms and snapped,

"Answer man!" before laughing when he flinched at his booming voice.

" _They left!_ " he positively shrieked before turning hotly on his heel, back into the hotel. Bolin's smile dropped, and he moved to stand only Opal reaffirmed her seat on his lap as she chugged one of her bloody Mary's.

"Well come on lets get them!" he urged, groaning as Opal told him to wait _one minute_ by raising her index finger as she drank.

"You have the worst priorities of any human being I've ever met." Mako deadpanned.

"I think she's fun." Wu snuggled into his arm as he watched her finish her beverage.

"Damn straight!" Opal added darting into the restaurant laughing gleefully as she did so.

"Was that a pun?" Mako yelled after her, "Was that a fucking pun!"

She went inside and found the bar man, looking equally confused as she pulled her shirt down so he could see the girls too. "Have you seen these two around?"

"Korra and Asami?"

"Yes!"

"Yeah they left."

"Where?"

"Into the hotel I suspect… can you explain why exactly they'd turn down eighty grand?"

"Eighty what now?"

Jin explained how Korra and Asami won eighty grand, and left it behind, twice, he even showed her the cardboard for good measure. Opal stood there speechless, even when he mentioned the passes.

"…And it didn't look good when Korra ran after her in the elevator." Opal turned and left for the outside. She was too confused to react to Bolin, who'd attempted to take the shirt off only to have it stuck on his elbows. Mako caught her sobering look.

"Whats the situation?" but Opal once again made them wait by downing a second cocktail.

"So? What happened to Asami and Korra?" Wu asked, Opal cocked her brow at him and opened her mouth to speak when a faint shattering noise, and an almost comical whistle. Before she could look up a clattering noise caught their attention behind them.

"Is that a phone?"

"Is what a phone?" Bolin asked from inside his shirt-prison.

Mako wandered over to retrieve it and perused the un-cracked shining screen, Korra was straddling Asami's back, both wearing Future Industries test track jumpsuits. Laughing and struggling not to fall off Korra had leaned forward and dug her chin into a sensitive, ticklish spot on the heiress' neck. This was an old photo that she had transferred from phone to Sato-phone.

"It's Korra's."

"Those maniacs!"

"You think they're fighting?" Bolin had since given up on trying to get the shirt past his shoulders and yanked it back down. Hands on his hips as he embraced the look of the slutty, yet pensive, body builder.

"If I know Asami she never makes the same mistake twice." Mako mused.

"So…?" Wu started, eyes wide as he too deduced what the married couple were _probably_ doing.

"Oh man they got given a free room!" Opal started laughing.

"What? _What_?" Bolin protested, truly lost.

"Oh this cinnamon roll, too innocent for his own good." Opal gushed over her boyfriend before throwing her arms around him and whispering what Korra and Asami were doing, in explicit detail.

Asami kissed her wife, hard, so her head thwacked the door lightly and she grunted, smiling.

" _You did that on purpose_."

"What are you going to do about it?" She countered, letting her lips dance over Korra's as she spoke. Korra answered with a kiss of her own, deep passionate as her strong hands, despite their maladies, hooked beneath the heiress' thighs and lifted them straddling around her hips.

Asami was breathless, stunned by her forwardness and immediate, blinding intensity. Korra could be clumsy, forgetful and downright ignorant at times, but here she was focused, her body was disciplined and lifted her with practiced ease. Carrying her into the spacious hotel room, never breaking her kiss.

Asami's fingers raked up that gorgeous back, falling in every crevice and tracing every puckered strip of scarred skin. She couldn't help the way her hips ground into Korra's abs, relishing in the desperate moan the soccer star gave as her thighs clamped harder and wet heat warmed her trembling abdomen muscles.

Her grip loosened however, when Korra lowered her atop the king sized bed. Only then did she break the kiss, teasing the heiress, pulling her lips so they were but a breath out of reach.

" _Korra-"_ she whined and Korra let out a her warm husky laugh which ended as she pressed her eager mouth against her throat. Asami fed her slender fingers into her chestnut locks, carried away with the urge to keep Korra's mouth on hers.

"Spoiled brat." she muttered back, indulging her with her skilled tongue, tracing it over her top lip and taking her in a languid, daring kiss.

"Nagging _wife_." the heiress corrected with a smile, eyes lighting up that make Korra's already thrumming heart skip. She reached up, using the knuckle that wore her wedding ring to stroke the curve of her cheek. The younger woman found her throat too thick to say anything, she was too full of what she wanted, _I love you, I can't wait to spend my life with you, I can't believe I get to do this._ So she took in the legs clenched around her, the fingers digging into her skin and hoped they might leave bruises.

Korra's flexed her solid arm behind her back dragging her shirt from pale shoulders. The taller woman gave a needful shudder, silently loving the tongue that punctuated every button popping, and sometimes the nipping that playfully plucked her skin. The promise of what was to come made her insides clench.

Korra leaned back however, admiring the red lacy garment that accented and cupped Asami's breasts.

"So fucking _beautiful_ ,"

Her fingers traced the edge, where her ribs met the swell, begging permission that Asami impatiently granted, taking her hand and slipping it beneath the fabric. Her fingers atop hers as she urged her to squeeze the flesh that Korra soon pushed free and kissed and suckled. Following the silk with her fingers and unclasped its teeth.

Asami tensed her stomach and lifted her shoulders off the bed to invite her to strip her torso completely. Korra's lips were sliding effortlessly over the skin as smooth as porcelain; finding friction in the the arch of her collar, the dip between her breasts and the slope of her naval.

Asami had a numbing flash then of the night prior, Korra's lip between her teeth, and her lithe muscular body writhing beneath her. But it was hazy and unfocused, nowhere near as exquisitely intense as what she was feeling right then.

Asami was determined to remember every inch and scar of her, Korra watched her expression as delicate fingers slipped a strap away from her shoulder, lifting it over the soft puckered marks that were left from accident that nearly killed her. She failed to veil the concern that laced her fixed look. The heiress took her attention away from undressing her and stroked them tenderly, paying particular attention to a silken strip that marred her collar. Raising her head she teased her lips across the patchwork flesh, and the younger girl whined and leaned her forehead against her temple.

The heiress's palms skated across her lower back before gripping her hips firmly and pushing her back. Korra raised her arms as her vest came away like it was nothing, and Asami tugged her closer to cup and bite the pert nipple underneath, worshipping the flesh of this goddess' body.

"Oh _God_." Korra moaned softly as she roughly dug her fingers into dark hair. Pressing herself further into her mouth, unable to help the way her hips rocked into the girl beneath her.

These sensations were mixed with fingers tracing, stroking, thumbing at her breast, her clenching sculpted abs, the top button of her shorts. Asami completely enthralled by the taut and perfect skin beneath her hands.

Korra felt her jean laden hips roll into her. She was reminded that some things had to go. She needed to feel Asami against her with nothing between. Her hands focused on her jeans, Asami's back arched with consent, gripping the tops and tearing them down. It took twice the time the heiress used to slip the shorts that Korra had hastily put on that morning, and even less for her to slip her arms beneath her back and thighs, laying her back on the bed, exactly where she wanted her to be.

"I can't believe you're letting me do this." Words finally made their way through her swollen lips.

"I want you to."

"Oh yeah?" Korra couldn't hear her reply of encouragement, she felt her heart had split and was now pumping in her ears as she drew her mouth down Asami's enflamed body. Dragging her fingertips along the defined muscle of the heiress's abs, and repeating the act to her spine. She pressed and open mouthed kiss to the heiress' throat, not quick frantic pecks, but slow languid strokes of her lips, trailing down, teasing, taking glee in the way her lover bucked her her hips impatiently and her breath pulsed with want.

Listening to the gasp Asami made, the breathy tone in which she whispered her name, and _fuck,_ Korra wanted to hear it over and over. Her breath coming hard and broken against her, her chest pressing exquisitely to her own. All the while her fingers worked in deft patterns on the heiress' skin, causing her to squirm with absolute agony as her core pulsated with want.

" _Korra-_ "

"Look at me." Asami felt a jolt of culture shock, years of encounters flitted through her mind, those eyes, those fingers, laughing, playing, goofing off at school and in and out of trouble, somehow fate had let them from all that innocence into her bed. Korra angled her perfect shoulders, manoeuvring them to shape herself perfectly between Asami's legs. A finger teasing her centre sent her already thrumming heart into overdrive.

Eager for what was to come, the CEO's fingers made contact with the soft silken locks of Korra's hair. Spreading her legs further, relishing in the hot breath that met her as she kissed her inner thigh. Sapphires met emeralds for barely a second, before the warm and wet tongue met her core, dragging between the folds, parting them with tips of her fingers. Her entire body tensing as she pressed her tongue against her clit.

Asami cried out her name, spurring her to grip her thighs and train her strokes with the rolling of her hips. The taller girl let her head fall back, positively digging her head into the pillows as her back arched and body pulsated, bearing down on Korra's mouth like her life depended on it.

She couldn't fathom how in such a short amount of time they had reached this place, after so many years of nothing and not knowing if there ever would be something, after so many late lonely nights dreaming this exact moment. Not that she could articulate those thoughts even if she wanted to, everything channeling through her brilliant mind, got caught somewhere in her throat, and all that was left was to moan sweetly and try to catch her breath between the sounds. This became impossible when Korra used her tongue to attack and suck her clit mercilessly, moaning in delight as Asami's grip tightened and body broke out in harsh orgasmic trembles.

She eased up, but only slightly, stroking softly as she rode her orgasm down and fingers unclenched. Just enough to catch her breath before she pressed again, harder, slipping her fingers in Asami's entrance and pumping for good measure.

" _Yes!"_ Asami screamed her name, or at least what she intended to sound like it, feeling her toes go numb as her second and third orgasm buffeted her and whitened her vision with an almost celestial light. Feeling her trembling lessen and pleasure wash and ebb away from her, used her grip to tug lightly on Korra's hair, urging her higher, tracing her tongue up Korra's throat and land her lips under hers. Determined she brought her mouth back up to her ear.

"Your turn." She felt the smile pulling at Asami's jaw under her lips and pulled back to see it, blue eyes, encapsulated by black, bore into her as her fingers slicked out of her best friend.

They grinned at each other softly. Korra inched forward, as if second guessing whether or not to press her lips, wet with her lover against her mouth. Asami smiled surging forward breaking out into deep runaway kisses. The athlete shuddered when she felt her nails rake intimately though her hair, her mouth stopped it's work as she was overwhelmed by the loving gesture.

"Lay down." The heiress urged, her eyes gentle but determined, her hands still stroking rhythmically. Korra took her wrists and kissed her gently, letting her back press against the bed and guiding Asami straddle her. She twitched gleefully as her bundle of nerves came into contact with her hot abdominals.

"What are you going to do to me?" The athlete palmed her hips and shifted her, relishing the skip in breath that the heiress exulted as her tender clit dragged across the skin.

" _Anything I want_." Those hands, firm and warm palms glided from her hips, her ribs, cupping her breasts thumbing her nipples. Those blue eyes encapsulated by black looked up at her with an expression she'd seen before, though the room was lacking in neon strips, she could see her reply. _I dare you._

Asami rolled her hips against her, side to side, circular, slow arching her back and dragging her nails down Korra's thighs behind her back. She enjoyed the touch, before catching herself, taking the dark hands and pinning them beside her head. She bowed her own and let her lips hover over hers, when Korra lifted her to meet hers she pulled back.

"Oh I see how it is." The heiress bit back her smile, letting her breath pool on her wife's skin, loosing her grip on her wrists, sliding down her body teasing without touching her fully.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

 _"Eat me_." Korra intended it to sound harsher, but the way Asami's lips mouthed deftly between her thighs made it sound almost desperate. Korra's hands gripped the bed bars and her biceps flexed as her tongue moved through her. Asami's confidence sky rocketed as she felt Korra's calves lock around her.

Korra felt her tears beading in the corners of her eyes and trickling down as she writhed. She slapped a free hand to her cheek to hide them, hoping Asami wouldn't mistake them for anguish or discomfort, because they were for joy and the absolute perfection she felt in her heart at that moment. She threw her neck back, barely able to lift her own tongue to the roof of her mouth to begin the word.

"There! _There_!" The sounds were quelled as Asami latched her hand onto Korra's thigh and pulled her mouth deeper inside her, and her fingers thrusting in and out furiously. This time her cry was almost ultra sonic, her shivering became more like seized waves and she felt the warmth of a cataclysmic explosion emanating from her groin into the tips of her eyelashes. After a breath she kept an even pace and listened like a pleasure detector for where her tongue played around her. All the words had left Korra, she kept making incoherent noises of varying volumes, sweet peals of whines that Asami had dreamed of as she narrowed her tongue and concentrated her pleasure. She lost count of the times she came, she forgot what counting even was. All she could do was rock her hips in time with Asami's movement. One by one her muscles unlocked, chest heaving, Korra released her grip on Asami's hair and pawed at her eyes to clear them.

"Are you ok?" Asami asked, her hands delicately gracing the thighs she had just made melt. She wiped her lips feverishly, fearing she may have done something wrong. Any minute now it was all going to break apart.

" _Kiss me_."

Korra pulled her up again, and kissed her, drawing her fully into her arms and holding her against her.

"I didn't know you were this demanding in bed." She laughed as Korra's frantic hands, pulling her back down.

"I didn't know you were this fucking amazing youfucking bitch whydidntyoukissmesooner you-!" Asami stopped her lip locked rant with a tender and determined kiss.

"I was never meant to make it this far." she craned her head and pressed her mouth under Korra's jaw, "I never wanted to risk losing you. I was never going to let you know. I've lived with my feelings for so long, thinking that you might ever want me back felt like a complete fantasy." her teeth raked her cheek, "I buried my feelings so much I forgot they were there sometimes. I never wanted to curse you with my…I was so used to not feeling that pursuing anything with you was terrifying." Korra raked her fingers through the back of Asami's hair, until her forehead was pressing back into hers. "I've been so isolated, orphaned, and that's made me strong, but sometimes when I look at you I just want to cry." their mouths collided with a smeck, "and kiss you," smeck, "a _nd make you come so hard they'll hear you in Zoafu_."

Korra held on for dear life, fighting against her strength so she could twist and over power her, palms kneading hungrily over her breasts. Lying on top of her, pressing her hips against her and teasing slow rhythmic grinding back that became harder and faster.

"You're amazing," Korra whimpered without the slightest hint of irony or sarcasm.

"Don't tell me that I can't take it."

"You are-" Asami's tongue graced effortlessly forward and tangled with hers before Korra let her mouth fall onto Asami's neck.

"I _can't._ " Self deprecation became the only way she could process the absolute perfection of what was happening to her. Korra's legs tangled with hers in such a way that every movement of their hips rubbed against their core, it wasn't on purpose but the athlete rolled with it, keening against her mouth as she felt the heiress's nails rake red across her shoulders. Without entirely meaning to, every action was a complete lack of control, entirely instinct driven by the purest need to be close. Tasting herself on Asami's lips, she was sweet, and musky with sweat, combined the scent was cosmic. Each thrust became fiercer, any worry that Asami couldn't handle the intensity was quashed as her thigh pressed higher into her, voice and breath merging as she urged Korra onto that edge with her.

Asami cursed as she came, toes flexing and back arching, sending Korra careening into her own orgasm. The heiress felt the muscles of her gorgeous back clench and flex beneath her hands as her wife's pleasure wracked through her whole body. She stroked her hands up and down her spine, feeling her melt against her. Asami loved feeling her weight bearing down on her, Korra's palms warming her shoulder blades. Kisses, seconds ago harsh and biting, were gentle against the slope of her neck.

" _You're the best thing that's ever happened to me._ " Korra assured, rearing her head, surprised to find tears tippling down the heiress' temples. "I love you. I'm so happy you're mine."

Asami's reply came in the form of a chaste comforting kiss, a second and third. Much to Korra's distress, the adrenaline she had been riding since the hospital this morning was starting to dissipate. Asami drawing her knuckles across her cheek soothingly wasn't helping either. Her brain was fuzzy and dizzy and unbelievably happy in that moment, and somehow part of it was unable to determine how much of what she was seeing now was real. She didn't care, she would do anything to stay.

"You can close your eyes if you want." Asami told her angling her shoulders so she could act as a pillow, "You're cute when you're sleepy."

"I don't ever want to sleep again."

"I'll still be here when you wake up, you've just got to remember to check _under_ our duvet." she teased.

"We get reunited and married on the same day, who's to say this isn't the dream?" Asami kissed her deeply, eliciting Korra's hand to ride up and hold her head. " _Ow_!"

Asami had bitten Korra's tongue.

"You don't feel pain in your dreams right?"

"You're such a bitch!" but Korra was smiling, "Is it bleeding?"

"Lemme see." before The Athlete could open her mouth The CEO was kissing her sweetly and apologetically. "I can't taste any-" Korra's lips fell under Asami's jaw. "I thought you were tired?"

"Yeah but now I'm _hungry_."


	9. Chapter 9

Asami had never been held before, at least not while she slept. She was always the one to do the holding. She held her cards close to her chest when she started a relationship with anyone new, even while dating Mako his chin never went higher than her cheek. When Korra was in recovery it became her habit to comb fingers through her hair, kiss her forehead, to have her eyes out of sight from her so she would never know what cradling her meant.

It was a shocking revelation to come to on the night after her wedding.

Yet here she was, strong arm aligned with her spine, cheek pressed to Korra's chest and deft fingers tracing across the curve of her ear, up and down rhythmically, it was so soothing Asami almost fell right back to sleep against her chest. Without thinking she curled her fingers, at first to ascertain where they were, and then as their pads stroked Korra's abs she couldn't help but trace their shape.

She looked up at Korra's profile, eyes closed, lips curled up in a small smile she was trying to hide. The moment stretched and they enjoyed it, silent, the heiress watching and counting having numbered each muscle she was routinely stroking. Korra however was less methodical, wordlessly bringing her fingers over Asami's neck, back up, her hair, her temple, blind as though absorbing every inch. Memorising through touch alone.

Despite this being an entirely new experience, Asami decided instantly that she loved it wholeheartedly. The taller woman turned gently into her, hoping not to wake her wife although she suspected that ship had sailed when Korra's chest vibrated with a soft sigh. Asami couldn't help the smile that pressed against her dark skin or the way her hips arched into her.

"Ngh how can you expect me to pretend to sleep when you do that to me?" Korra mumbled dreamily, pulling her gently so both arms could encircle her.

"Not yet," Asami whispered, only slightly acknowledging that she wasn't making sense as she kissed her supple skin, "I don't want this to be over."

"Oh yeah because I was thinking this would be a one time thing," Korra chagrinned, brushing her lips over her wife's temple, teasing. "Ten years of build up and you know what, _pass_. Too gay for me."

Her voice had taken on that beautiful husky tone again, it threw her back to every affectionate encounter, like she was staring at the end of her life rather than beginning a new one. Asami couldn't help herself, pulling up on the pillows and sheets she pressed her mouth eagerly on to Korra's soft lips. Strong hands gripped her hips to keep her balanced on top of her, keening as the kiss developed, slow and timid and chaste at first then deep and passionate and over all at once.

Asami pulled away, suddenly shy and second guessing her own eagerness. Feeling every inch of her skin hot against her own, her breath came out pulsing with want, she wasn't sure if it was because of their nakedness, or the vivid memories of their last night rushing through her head.

"Last night was amazing." Korra breathed new life into her visions, as she let out a soft sigh beneath her lips.

"You liked it?"

"What? On a scale of one to ten?"

"Well I wouldn't say-"

"Four."

"Hey! _Fuck_ -."

"-Billon, let me finish! Four billion out of ten. Billion _bazillion_ ," Korra urged grinning as Asami groaned pinching her skin, "Ow-Sami! Hey look the eyebrow is back-ow!"

"Do you have to be such a sarcastic ass?"

"I know, I'm sorry. I can't stop myself its a condition I get when everything is perfect. You know what I'm like."

"I do." they grinned softly at each other at the memories those words evoked, now clear as crystal as the strip glittered at them from beyond the neatly shattered window. Asami splayed her fingers softly over her cheeks, leaning over her on her elbows she stroked under her eyes, noticing the dark circles that were spongey to touch.

"How long have you been awake?" Korra averted her eyes, not the blushing reaction the heiress expected. "Did you have another nightmare?"

"I didn't want you to worry."

"Worrying is part of my contract." Asami answered smoothly, "So is kissing it better." lowering her head to kiss a soft scarred patch on her collar.

"It's the same as before. Just a shock that wakes me up. When I saw you sleeping on me I didn't want to look away."

"You can look at me when you're awake too. I'm going to be around for a while."

"I can't help it. I keep thinking this can't be real."

"Do you want me to bite you again?"

" _No_ , well maybe yes, but I just… When things went well last time you had to leave…I know it wasn't your fault, and I'm not saying-I knew then how I felt. I was gong to tell you. But then you got the call about your dad."

"Don't tell me _that_." Asami groaned, letting her forehead fall onto the pillow by Korra's head. Her arms fed under her shoulder blades as Korra wrapped her arms around her shoulders, taking her weight fully against her. The CEO tried to ignore the tears bleeding into her eyes.

"LA wasn't the same without you. My _house_ wasn't the same without you." Korra soothed, raking her fingers through dark locks. "The bathroom was so empty without all your hair products." she chuckled, "I couldn't go into my kitchen without smelling your weird healthy breakfasts. I couldn't sit on the veranda and watch the sun set without feeling where your arms _should_ have been."

Without so much as a tug Asami lifted her head to inspect her expression. She was completely serious, open and vulnerable beneath her. Something that Asami had never faced in her before. After Korra's accident, Asami was one of three primary care givers. Her parents moved back north after about a year, when they realised that Asami was more than capable of running a fortune five hundred company and tending to their daughter's every beck and call.

The immediate intimate nature of their relationship went unspoken, but that didn't mean they were numb to it. Korra needed her, desperately, but some nights sleeping next to her were completely unbearable. Korra could never tell her that the way her arms encircled her locked her in, in the most beautiful way, without it lonely nights felt like total exposure. Yet a brush of bare skin could send their minds into a panicked frenzy of what they hoped for. For what they found in Vegas two years later.

She listened intently, as though every word had been held hostage for her years of silence.

"We were so close and we didn't even realise it…and when you were gone I…I was destroyed. When you left I finally understood why storms are named after people. I was completely in love with you. Still am…as it happens."

"How could you be broken? You won the World Cup," Asami wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"It was a team effort," Korra answered diplomatically, eyes watering but mouth finding that perfect, easy Korra smile, "I couldn't have done it without the support of my friends, family Skype and you. But ultimately it was also one hell of a distraction." Korra brought a hand up to cup her cheek, so her thumb could trace the arch. "I had this crazy dream," Asami revelled in that honeyed silken voice again, "The moment we won. I must've spent the first thirty seconds just looking for you on the field. I knew that if I saw you I was going to kiss you. Then you know… _reality._ "

The reality had been Asami was stopped from attending the final because of an endless foray of meetings. The CEO had saved thousands of jobs, her board had thrown a party to celebrate, and Iroh had gotten a red wine face wash, meanwhile Korra was looking for that flash of dark hair hopelessly in the crowd of millions.

"Next time," Asami vowed. "I never have to miss a match."

"The next world cup is in four years,"

"So you better keep training." Asami pitched up and sealed her mouth over hers, hands clasped behind her head. Korra ghosted her hands over the small of Asami's back, she felt goose pimples pressing into her fingertips. Asami closed her eyes and arched her back into her touch.

The athlete drew her hands over her, and fed her fingers into her hair as she pulled her down for a bruising kiss. Fully awake now, Asami felt her abs go taut as she sat up beneath her, guiding her legs so that the heiress straddled her hips as they kissed.

"I could do with some extra coaching."

"Is that what you call this?" She was referring to Korra's hand teasing her core.

"I call this _incredible_." Asami couldn't reply, she was simpering and grinding her hips as Korra gently teased her to the edge of coming.

" _Korra…_ " She breathed against her smiling mouth, back straight, face pinched with ecstasy. Rocking her hips into her hand and splaying her fingers on the athletes stunning back, threatening to scratch. Her back arched and hips locked and Korra listened with glee to her trickling whine, she tenderly let her ride the orgasm back down, her thighs wrapped around her and her tongue sought hers in earnest.

She was about to return the favour when annoyingly familiar voices started to float through the hotel room door.

"I don't want to knock - you knock!" Mako's dulcet tones.

"What do you suppose they could be doing now? It's been ages!"

"Learning to draw each others labia's with a spirograph?"

"Wu!" Mako exclaimed at his drawling boyfriend, who for the best part of an hour had been pretending to be a contestant of a gameshow. Meanwhile Bolin and Opal were howling with glee.

 _"I love that we got the limo driver drunk."_

"I just felt like getting down with ma bad self…and Officer Tight-buns here." Korra swore she heard a hot slap.

"I swear to God I will turn this bus around."

"Show me _drawing labia's with spirographs,_ " Opal damn near screeched "- _our survey says!"_ she smacked loudly on the heavy door.

"We have two options," Korra surmised quietly, curling her fingers a little that made Asami twitch and gasp sharply, " _Fuck._ Loudly." Her lips tantalised the shell of her ear as she clutched her so close it was difficult to discern where she began and Korra ended, "But knowing Opal, we'd never hear the end of it."

"She can already do an impression of your-"

" _Or_ we get dressed and celebrate being married with our friends… and your drunk limo driver."

"How are we going to get around?"

"I'll drive I'm never drinking again."

"Can you operate heavy machinery?"

"I can hold my breath for a really long time?"

"Would you like me to test that?"

"Mrs Sato this isn't the time, we have guests,"

" _Mrs_ _Sato,_ I really would disagree."

"Oi! Lesbians! We can hear you in there." Opal yelled now clearly kicking the door.

" _We know_!" The Sato's answered in unison.

"Stop fucking and come say hi to us!"

" _Never_!" Asami squeaked as Korra scooped her up straddling her hips, carrying her to the wardrobe with her legs wrapped around her middle. An impressive feat considering Asami spent the entire journey peppering kisses over Korra's face.

Korra felt a smile tugging madly, involuntarily at her lips, before she pursed and focused them.

"C'mon, I want to show you off to my friends."

"I don't care they're terrible people."

"Hey!" Opal's voice came through the door as the heiress found her feet. Korra offered her a robe and shouldered her own.

Before Asami could reach for the door, Korra's hand graced her cheek and their eyes met.

"Whatever happens out there - know that love follows you."

"You're such an idiot."

"But I'm your idiot."

" _Bluergh_!"

"Wu you're so great."

XXXX

"Tonraq where are my keys?" Senna darted from the kitchen into the living room, where her husband's long form was spread across their couch.

"The side," he answered numbly, entranced by the flickering screen opposite and barely turning his head to even begin helping.

"Yeah well we have many sides if you haven't noticed."

"By the thing." he added, sipping a nip of whiskey to wake him up, he didn't want to be put to sleep by the News before the game started.

"Tonraq you're about as useful as a chocolate fireguard sometimes you know that right?"

"That sounds great, a sprinkle of chilli in mine please." Tonraq replied grinning, Senna ruffled his hair in retaliation, and he reached up with long muscular arms and scooped her from behind the sofa into his lap, while his hilariously nimble wife batted him with her fists while giggling.

"… _What happens in Vegas - is broadcasted worldwide for everyone to see."_ The parents were barely listening as Senna fed her hand into Tonraq's pocket and yanked the keys jabbing into her, before bonking onto his forehead. " _World renowned CEO of Sato Industries, Asami Sato, and World cup female soccer star Korra have been confirmed to me more than just_ 'gal pals' _this week, after accidentally being filmed having sex in their Vegas hotel room."_ A poorly censored screenshot of the couple kissing flickered up on screen, _"Their romp has since gone viral, and their is speculation just how far their relationship has come. The heiress had this to say on the matter."_ The screen changed to cell phone footage, Senna's jaw dropped as Asami came into focus, she was livid, and Bolin's large hands were on her arms as though trying to pull her back.

 _"It might interest America to know that the accidental filming of our having sex was consensual, and well within the laws of marriage! And I was giving her more pleasure with one finger," Asami proceeded to raise her wedding ring finger as though cursing him with it, "Than you could ever do to a woman with two hands and a-"_

The clip stop and the newscaster returned, a smug grin twisting her lips.

" _The couple have not been available for further official comment, but there is speculation as to when their relationship began. Korra survived a near fatal accident six years ago and much of her recovery has been attributed to the support of her long time friend, and now wife, Asami Sato. We've got an exclusive from members of the US Women's Soccer team…"_

A smug green eyed woman with a mole under her eye came up on screen, barely able to contain her laughter, as she spoke.

" _I think this is so typically_ Korra! _I mean she has been…smitten with Sato for so long its been dead annoying really. We have a Sato swear jar. She_ paid _for that trip with the money she had to put in that. Ahem… Obviously_ _we at the United States Women's Soccer Team fully support our, ahem, MVP in her most recent commitment to matrimony…"_

Senna stopped listening and slowly, ever so slowly inched her gaze to her husband. He hadn't shifted his gaze at all. In fact the only thing he did was reach forward for the bottle of whiskey on the table and fill the tumbler he had beside it, to the rim. He then drank the scorching liquid without even flinching, while Senna took the bottle and a large gulp. When the glass was back down they continued staring for a while, until Tonraq fished his wallet out of his pocket.

"Tonraq."

Without a word he pulled out its content, around $20.

" _Tonraq_. if you give me that money I will slap you." She warned again. Blank faced, he inclined it towards his wife.

"You won the bet." he sighed.

" _Guh_!" Senna lightly slapped his cheek before whipping the note out of his hand. "I'll get the passports."

Tonraq took out his phone and added,

"Plane tickets."


	10. Chapter 10

" _Why did we agree to this?_ " Korra lamented burying her face into the fluffy robe-covered dip between her wife's shoulder blades.

"We didn't." Asami reminded, watching Opal tap onto the next question on the Buzzfeed Korrasami Quiz. The heiress braced herself against her, gently shifting her hips between Korra's legs and folding her hands over the ones that already held her stomach. The six of them were scattered on and around the bed, Opal at it's foot, Wu curled up next to her, Bolin on a chair beside the pillows, the Sato's at the head and Mako on an arm chair on the opposite side of his brother.

"Come on it's a great way to get your memories back - Question 3 _What article of clothing_ …" She began, "Was removed first?"

"Korra's hat?" Wu drawled, pounding his fist on his palm like a buzzer.

"Asami's shoes." Bolin bit his lip to keep from laughing and looking up at the ceiling.

"She wasn't wearing a hat." Mako grumbled. Arms folded tightly over his chest as he refused eye contact with three out of the five people in the room he'd had sex with.

Opal's gaze however was fixed firmly on the brides. Grinning like an exhausted tousled cheshire cat at the situation she had so expertly carved, playfully twirling her phone between two fingers.

"People are so _weird_." Korra moaned.

"My shirt." Asami answered at the same time.

" _Correct_ Slami Aato! Korra ya better perk up if you're gonna get anything from this."

"She's perky enough thanks."

"She wouldn't carry on if you didn't pander to her!" Korra raised her head and planted her chin on the heiress' shoulder, aiming to press on the ticklish spot in it's crook.

"There wouldn't be a quiz if _someone,_ not saying who, turned off Periscope."

"I'm never going to live this down am I?"

"Not unless you drink your medicine no." Korra raised her lips to Asami's ear, and calmly, and quietly rebuffed.

" _I'd rather lick it off you._ "

"What a _coincidence_!" Opal crowed thumbing onto the next question in the quiz.

" _Ugh_ … neck, chest, stomach, breasts, in that order." Korra mumbled mashing her face back into robey-oblivion.

"It was actually _what topping did you use?_ "

"I hate this game."

"Cream and hersheys - next!"

"Bolin!"

" _What_? It was the one part that I saw when I …yeah."

"Can I phone a friend?" Wu whined.

"Not for a question that's already been answered." Mako stood and turned the driver onto his side, measuring his clammy forehead beneath his own palm. He balked suddenly, entirely aware of the way his hand had not only lingered but traced the arch of his brow with affection. Without another word he turned his back to the bed before stalking to the landline phone, "I'm calling service- _room_ service. Um for some… bread and sobering things."

There was a moment where silence reigned and the Police officer's stomach did flip flops, but after a moment of debilitation he realised that only Korra didn't know about Wu, and she was trying to burrow into a Bellagio cotton robe.

"Where?" Opal asked.

"Here? I dunno what room is this?" Mako pilfered through a papers by the phone, all too glad for a the continuation of his fake out.

"No that's question five," Opal interjected, "Where and where, one of them's _in the bathroom with a dildo._ Sounds like Cluedo… _Mako_ this is your area of expertise."

"Korra and Asami's sex life or… detective work?"

"I hate everything, _Ihateeverything."_ Korra whined hiding her face in Asami's back, feeling her stifle her laughter, and ignoring the smug if sly grin percolating onto her ex boyfriend's lips.

"Let's talk about _literally_ anything else." Korra pleaded to Opal, peeking out over Asami's shoulder.

"Yeah talking about Mako is boring." Opal agreed, flashing him a grin just in time to catch him flipping her the bird. "Well normally I'd only speak to one of you, get the low down, the four-one-one, the hot sweaty sexy gossip-"

"Do you hear what you're saying or are you like one of those movie monkeys trained to look like she's talking because of the peanut butter in her mouth?" Korra seethed desperately.

" _How was it_?"

"Many things could be considered 'it'. _Specify_." Asami looked smug despite the protests of her wife rocking her.

" _Don't please don't encourage her._ "

"Which one?" Bolin chuckled.

"Either, just everyone let's play the quiet game and we can all descend sleepily into hangovers and eat junk room service and watch cartoons on pay per view like we would when we were twelve!"

"You didn't know me then." Opal added.

"Me neither," Wu seemed to perk out of his unconsciousness for a second.

"What twelve year old has access to pay per view?" Bolin said.

" _It was_ …" Asami began, considering her words carefully, taking her time in such away that set her wife's teeth on edge as she peered a mischievous emerald back at her from the corner of her eye, "Nunya."

" _Nunya_?" Opal rolled the word in her mouth, about to type the jibberish into urbandictionary.

"Nunya business!" Asami twisted her palm so it faced up.

"I can't believe I'm high-fiving this." Korra slapped her hand atop hers and knotted their fingers, pride welling in her throat just a little at the dorky goddess she had between her legs.

" _Weak."_ Bolin jibed tossing a pillow at the smug couple.

" _C'mon!_ What about your favourite position?"

"CEO." Asami answered without skipping a beat, and finally Korra let out a sweet peal of laughter.

"How'd you spell that?"

"Are you making your own Buzzfeed quiz?" Opal tucked away her cell.

" _No_."

"Yeah, you should mention where the Future Industries logo was tattooed on Korra's body."

" _That did not happen_. Tell me that did not happen!" Korra twisted to check her legs and arms as Asami broke out laughing.

"Think _sunrise_." Asami cackled splaying her hands in a jazzy fashion.

"No no _no no_."

"Korra relax, joke, it was a joke." Asami turned to aim a kiss the corner of her mouth, only it ended up more centred than she intended and found the whole ordeal was too comfortable to abandon. Korra's lips soft like petals, came away as though every cell had clung to her. Momentarily stunned by what had just occurred, Asami couldn't keep the levity in her voice, but whispered as though it were just the two of them once more. "You're still perfect."

"N'aww." Bolin crooned, Korra shot him a disgruntled look.

"Okay I don't think I can deal with the commentary."

"But you're just so _cute!_ " tears were beading in the body builders eyes before he added, "It's like a real life OTP becoming canon!"

Opal grinned as she hopped to his lap and kissed his emotional cheeks, peppering his cheeks with kisses. She loved her mush-ball boyfriend and wasn't afraid to show it.

"He's dressed like that and I _still_ feel slutty sitting naked in these robes." Asami was referring to their wedding shirt that was still hugging Bolin's shoulders. Five hours later and he didn't manage to take it off. That and anyone he asked to help him thought it was too funny to actually free him.

" _Speaking of,"_ Opal stopped nuzzling her boyfriends face, "we brought presents."

"Our own merchandise thanks."

" _Well_ you say that." Opal slipped off Bolin to kneel by the box, plucking out underwear and jean shorts and tops.

"These were in my room at Zaofu,"

"Because it's so hard for a Beifong to get in a room at her own hotel, that's impossible this is such a mystery!"

"Opal you suck in so many ways."

" _Amen_!"

"Still, I am part of the reason you get all this cool stuff." Opal reasoned hauling the swag-box onto the bed and rifling through.

Mako, by this point had finished ordering sobering things, and had sat on the bed. Wu sensed him and crawled close, pressing his cheek on his thigh and falling right back to sleep.

"Uh," Korra blanched, "Mako?" noticing the way his ears had flared into a fascinating luminous red. "Is he… okay?"

"He just needs to sleep." The Officer shrugged, bouncing his eyes, landing on Asami hoping at some point she might have broken the news. Her wide eyed stare told him she hadn't. Upon the last bounce, he did the inevitable and watched Opal struggle with her smug grin.

"Your place or his?" she teased quietly, but it was loud enough.

" _When did this happen_?" Korra blurted, intending to be just as cool calm and collected as her ex had been only she pretty much yelled it, and had Asami flinching in her arms. _Classic Korra_.

"When do you think?" Mako chagrinned, bending his neck to watch as he ended Wu's cowlick from his eyes, before reaching up to grip the back of his neck.

" _Wow…_ Congrats I guess."

"Look who's talking."

"Okay okay," Opal interjected, "We can congratulate and dress and eat and wake up from our comas, _but_ I feel like we should make a plan about how we're gonna spend our last night in Vegas."

"Are you sure letting her lead the plan is a good idea?" Mako asked, paling a little.

"I don't think we could get into many more shenanigans." Asami reasoned, shooting Korra a fond mischievous look.

"Guys, she is _persuasive!_ She's like a lawyer. Or a Mormon."

"Whats the matter May-ko? Ya afraid you'll get married too?"

The officer rolled his eyes, before hearing the knock on the door.

"Food!" Bolin crowed, pushing himself backwards in an effort to stand only it sent him scrambling.

They ate, Bolin inhaling pancakes and BBQ ribs in this odd eclectic selection Mako had called for them and Wu, now conscious, nibbling on bread with a green tinge around his gils.

Korra watched her wife, smiling to herself quietly. It usually went unnoticed, Opal, Mako and Bolin could often get lost in endless banter and conversation, and she could get lost inside her own head while still being apart of the group. Asami caught it however, reading her thoughts that were measurable in the way that Korra's fingers traced circles on her wrist, feeding fingers between hers and bowing her head she whispered,

"You're have sugar here." she traced the thumb across the feint dust, lost in the smoothness of her tan skin and the kind way those cerulean eyes drew her in.

She thought about family suddenly, how it was something she'd been without for so long, it was a feeling of completeness that she could barely recognise until now. She didn't just want to kiss Korra but she wanted to be near, she wanted to tell her everything, pet peeves, favourite foods, her fears, and all the joy she had brought into her life, even though part of her knew that Korra must've had the answers to hand already. Such feelings were as yet unprecedented for the heiress, who's only social encounters she'd had included work meetings and faking out the men in her life, under her wife's gaze she found herself incapacitated by their sheer power, and so sat there staring with a dumb smile teasing her lips too.

"Ugh get a room." Opal sneered throwing her balled up napkin at them.

"We did." Korra laughed, "we'd like to use it." Asami felt her cheeks heating up as her brain short circuited, Korra's smug grin broadened before she added, "To get _changed_."

"What? No more sexcapades?"

"A lady shouldn't ask and a Sato wouldn't tell."

"So yes."

" _Opal_."

"Alright okay, don't be late for the bar at Zoafu later."

"K thanks bye." Korra replied, flexing her fingers that were knotted on the CEO's thigh, bunching her robe a little so she could stroke the skin. Asami bit her smirk, and bounced her eyes around the rest of them. Mako had already begun piling the plates up but his neck was heating up. Bolin chuckled at his brothers silence as he stood, only leaning forward to kiss Asami's head and throw his arm around Korra.

"Congrats guys seriously."

"We were all rooting for you guys."

" _Wu_."

The driver leaned against Mako, and mumbled something, Asami only caught the word _grumpy._

When Bolin was clear Opal squeed and dove her arms hooked around their necks.

"You don't have to thank me yet," she said gleefully, "you can name your first born after me!"

"Slagathor. Got it." Korra agreed.

" _No_." Asami warned before she could think, prompting both girls to shoot her with worried looks, "I mean we should be the ones to name-talk about having kids even if we are having…I mean if we adopt, or I mean birth, IVF and donors is all so, maybe and-" she felt her ears flaring up as she went on, "It's been a day!" she whined covering her face.

"How do you even do that Opal?" Korra mused in a voice that was equal parts exasperated and amazed. She took Asami's hands from her face and smiled that crooked smile of hers. "Breathe baby, moment's over."

" _Baby_?"

"We'll leave you to your break down."

Korra barely had time to shoot them a look before they were out the door. When she dared look back she caught how tense Asami now was.

"Yea or nea to the pet names?"

"Poorly timed but… your voice makes it okay."

"My voice?"

Asami closed her eyes, partially out of embarrassment, mostly because it was the best way to lock in the tingling sensation she got if she really concentrated on her sound.

"I can't explain it. Your voice makes me calm…and happy."

"Yours too." Korra admitted, "I never expected _leave a message_ to be a nightmare deterrent, but it works."

"I love you."

"I love you too." Korra pitched up and pressed her lips to hers in a chaste kiss.

"And we'll talk about kids?"

"Later, less naked, after we have picked who's house we're going to live in."

"Aren't you sharing with Jinora?"

 _"She-does the dishes._ " Korra laughed, running her fingers through her own hair, only now worrying that it was tousled from bed-head. "Anyway," she rolled off the bed, heading towards the bathroom, in a move that was more elegant than she expected. As she turned the corner her robe flew back into the bedroom. The tumble of running water filled her ears, just as steam slowly started to filter out, Korra called back,

" _You coming_?"

"We have an hour." Asami reminded, standing, letting her robe fall below her shoulders.

"We have a challenge." Korra rebuffed as she turned that corner, grabbing her robe and pulling her in for a hard kiss. Asami yanked her arms free so she could comb her fingers through Korra's short locks. "So." she continued between kisses, "Are you?"

"I believe it's your turn." Asami murmured pushing her against the wall, kissing and nibbling her neck as Korra's hands palmed her hips and ass.

" _Bath,"_ Korra reminded breathily. The heiress groaned as she saw that it was already three quarters full, which was impressive seeing as the time was about as wide as she was tall. It had all the luxury and grandeur that anyone could hope from a Vegas hotel. Jets, steps, a seat that she could imagine being exquisitely draped across. She stepped inside and lead Korra by the hand, and her lips, trying everything not to fall. The heiress lowered herself slowly, impressed by Korra's control as she gripped the tub and let her be guided between her legs.

She was lost temporarily in the warm body pressing into her through the tepid water, her head bowed in prayer, worshipping, her mouth learning her every curve through repetition. Asami felt her good hand combing down the silk soaking locks down her spine while the bruised one gripped onto the rim for dear life. Korra let out a short strangled shocked moan to feel her slender fingers slipping inside her. Her eyes on Asami' s dissolved into a foggy blue and she used the hand firm on hips as leverage to pull her closer.

What was difficult to see Korra could taste, in her lips, the curve of her ear, crux of her throat, she had to hold back everything she wanted to do all at once and was ecstatic when she learned she wasn't the only one. Asami's strokes were hard and slow, Korra gasped, biting on her shoulder, intending to leave a mark. She lowered herself to take Korra's nipple with her tongue and between her teeth.

"Oh _God_." Korra gasped, arching back her throat and feeling Asami's breath quicken as she felt her shudder. When she came she couldn't kiss or bite, but wrapped her arms around her and buried her face into that pale neck. She let go, she lost her grip on her control and gave herself to Asami and more specifically her vocal cords, recently they had been unable to stop themselves. Here, with her, she felt free. Asami retreated feeling pride wash over her as she marvelled at her creation, the bliss in Korra's eyes was something she had never thought she could ever witness.

She leaned back, cupping her cheeks, stroking them as her chest heaved beneath her and she evened her breathing. Not before she felt the need to press her ear to her heart, thrumming beneath the surface, she stretched and let the water take her weight and Korra's arm encircle her.

"Gimme a minute." she breathed, cupping her jaw and neck, tracing the line.

" _Mm_ such an athlete." Asami teased, lost in the god like drumming on her cheek.

"I like this," Korra added, pressing her lips to her forehead, "I love this." she corrected. "We should stay here until the water gets cold."

"We have forty five minutes." Asami murmured sliding her hands over her lower back and following her dot to dot of spinal scars.

"There's no way you could tell that." Korra chuckled.

"C'mon." Asami reluctantly sat up, keeping her hands over Korra's chest "we should actually get clean."

"Why? You're only going to get dirty again." Korra teased leaning forward, pressing her lips over hers again.

XXXX

" _You had to leave a mark didn't you_?" Asami seethed, pulling up the neck to her shirt in her reflection in the wall of the Zoafu hotel.

"Because it's a total secret that we're sleeping together." Korra laughed, wrapping her arms about her waist from behind her.

"Opal is going to zero in on this like a hawk,"

"She's a witch she must be burnt." Korra agreed pecking the nape of her neck before leading the way into the lobby. No one they knew was here yet, and Korra was kicking herself internally for having rushed their 'getting changed' to be here on time.

When she caught sight of the glittering hotel bar, she was barraged with flashes of the last times she was at any bar.

"Aren't you worried about the creepy guy showing up again?"

Asami turned to look at her with concern, using a finger to trace the edge of her temple bandage and brush her hair from her eyes she shot a comforting smile at her.

"Look at who you're talking to. I could take out everyone here in about 30 seconds."

"Should you really be speed dating after last night?" Korra found her grin and flashed her ring at her. As Asami considered her odd joke she felt her lips press a kiss to her cheek before she was distracted by the flickering of a screen.

"Oh crap."

A television at the end of the bar was running a news story that must have been so reused that most people could recite it by memory by now. The censored night, the freakout with the fanatics, even helicopter footage of Korra's accident.

"It'll blow over in a few days…weeks…Maybe we should doctor a disaster to distract the media."

"I need to remember to call my PA so she can make sure my dad doesn't find out like this."

"Your dad? I thought he was in jail."

"Well he is." Asami felt her whole body seize with something she couldn't identify, it was tense and terrifying in the same moment. Yet still she had to listen.

"Then why would you talk to him after what he…" Korra trailed off, knowing she had just dived into uncharted waters.

"Why wouldn't I? He's still my father, Korra."

"But you still trust him after all he put you through?"

"You think I don't know what my own father is capable of?"

" _No I don't mean_." Korra raised her palms defensively, and despite her stance Asami couldn't help the harsh way words left her mouth.

"You don't get to judge me on the choices I had to make to get by Korra. I was alone-"

"You had me!"

 _"Thousands of miles away_. I had to deal with my company. And despite what he did, I used to think he was a good father,"

"I'm trying to say you don't owe him anything."

"Yeah well I don't owe you anything either!" The heiress snapped. She felt her head was hotter than ever, she needed to cool off before she exploded over the best thing in her life, currently gazing at her with big round blue watery eyes. She suddenly felt like a viper, hot off one strike about to give another. She had to walk away to calm down but before she could found herself flinching.

A buzz gripped her thigh and she fed her hand into her pocket to rip out her cell phone.

" _What._ " she seethed.

"Asami." The anger fell away in a second, and was replaced by cold, sheer dread. Before Korra could question it, the speaker continued. "Pass the phone to Korra please." Asami nodded, despite the fact the listener obviously couldn't hear her as she offered her wife the phone.

Gingerly, Korra took it, and raised the receiver to her ear.

"Hi, hey…. _Mom._ "


	11. Chapter 11

" _You listen here Korra, and you listen well-_ "

"Okay." Korra answered blankly. Numbing herself, the sound of her mother's voice and the oncoming firestorm she had expected. It was a time-old technique that she had just thrown her mother off for half a second, and only infuriated her more thanks to its beauty.

She was watching Asami, any second now she was going to flee, unfortunately she knew that when it came to matters of Asami's heart that was her go-to move. Despite the yelling in her ear she stepped towards her and knotted their fingers.

To her surprise the heiress didn't move, under her gaze she couldn't. Korra schooled her wounded look to one of conviction. Deaf in one ear, not wanting to interrupt her mother she mouthed.

 _I know._

She had more to say, but impossibly Senna was getting louder.

"- _I brought you into this planet Korra and don't you think I can't take you out of it. Your father and I have been calling your cell non stop since Washington and so help me you your children and your children's children will be grounded for the next one hundred years-in our basement without your wife!"_ Senna always had a charming way of over exaggerating when she was in tirade mode.

"Mom-I can't really talk right now." Korra had inherited it too. "The world is ending."

" _Like hell it is - we're in Vegas."_

 _"_ You're in whatas?"

" _We landed an hour ago and we're headed to your hotel so you can stop whatever you think you're doing and take whatever punishment I can dream up before I can get there."_

 _"_ I'm twenty five. You can't punish me. I won the world cup."

" _And I will but it on a high shelf so you can never get to it!"_

"Wow. Low blow Mom."

 _"Where are you?"_

"Zaofu. We're meeting everyone."

" _Fine! See you soon… Did you get the cookies I sent you last week?"_

 _"_ They were delicious."

 _"Good!"_ and with that Senna cut the line.

When Korra handed Asami her phone back she squeezed the hand she was holding,

"I know," She reiterated, "you don't- owe me anything, but I owe you a lot."

"No-Korra I didn't-" Asami began, drawing off, hating herself suddenly for making Korra think she did.

" _I do."_ Korra urged tugging her towards the bar and it's dimly lit booths. She enclosed her hand between her own, sitting close and talking with that hushed, silken voice that warmed the heiress from the inside out. "I think about it every day. It's not the reason I love you, but it's the reason I'm here."

"You needed me." Asami explained simply, unable to stop herself from tracing Korra's scars with her eyes. She knew every wound even before they'd made love, before she felt brave enough to kiss them. Nothing could have torn her away when they were fresh, she had to stop the bleeding, she had to drown out Korra's screaming that echoed in her ears long after she had stopped. If she didn't pay attention she could still see the carnage in flashes, that tan hand flayed, protruding out of the rock and rubble, barely twitching.

"And then your company needed you more." despite the pain behind that sentence Korra smiled at her, "You're a hero. _Sato saves jobs, Sato funds cancer research_. Asami, I was so proud of you."

Asami felt a wave of something unfamiliar, but not altogether unpleasant, it was those words, someone having pride in her. She hadn't heard anything of the sort since her mother.

"But I was also insanely jealous. I wanted you to drop everything and stay with me until I had the confidence, no matter how long it took, to tell you I was in love you while your father's company collapsed around us. I mean was that _so much_ to ask?"

A laugh erupted unexpectedly through Asami's throat, anxiety and happiness falling out of her in a big wet wad. She didn't know she was crying until Korra thumbed at the tears that had began to trickle at the word _proud._

"I'm sorry for assuming about your father. I guess I'm still mad at him." She leaned forward, pressing her forehead gently over Asami's as tears slid effortlessly down those porcelain cheeks. "I guess I've made an ass-ing out me and you. Wait that's not right…"

"I think you might have the phrase confused…"

"Tell me about him. How's he doing?"

"He's… _different_." This was a part of her she rarely saw, but she knew without a doubt she was the only one who got to see this side of the heiress. She kept her distress secret, not wanting to burden anyone with her problems, but Korra had earned access to them long ago. "He's small." she sniffled, "and gray."

"What did you guys talk about?" Korra asked softly, brushing her thumb rhythmically over Asami's knuckles, a move she was beginning to learn calmed soothed her wife. The proof was before her, her face serene and eyes closed.

"The company. Obviously. Mom sometimes. That was hard. Forgiveness, that conversation was almost impossible…You."

" _Me_?"

"How you were doing- he used to ask how you were doing! I- you- he doesn't know how I-love you." Asami felt the smile tugging at her lips involuntarily. She smothered her face and groaned, "I must look totally desperate right now. Don't I?" Korra fed her fingers between Asami's again and pulled her hands back to the table.

"I think I need to tell you about a little something my teammates like to call the ' _Sato Swear Jar',"_

XXXX

"What are you thinking?" Wu asked, looking up at Mako hanging back just enough to give him space while he brooded over his ex's.

"They look good together." He smirked despite himself, watching the newlyweds across the room, hands tangled on the table between them. Whispering in hushed tones, pausing only to share a meaningful look, or smile. Making up for lost time. He bounced his gaze away as they leaned in for a gentile kiss.

"They seem pretty intense…even for lesbians." Wu joked and Mako's smile only widened.

"They never expected to get this chance."

"Why because of dating you?" Wu chagrinned. Mako inclined his head towards the bar so they could sit. Not wanting to interrupt the tender moment but also awaiting the moment Opal and his brother would bowl in their spectacular fashion.

"No, because of the accident, for one."

"That." Wu began enthusiastically, "Is the juiciest thing I have ever heard."

"We should, uh get a drink."

"Spill! Tell me - tell me please I'll be your best friend!"

"You sure you want to downgrade yourself like that?" Mako joked, before Wu folded his hands over his bicep.

"Okay detective I'll detect. Earn your respect get my badge back from the force!"

"Have you been drinking?"

" _Korra and Asami are cheer dames for the mighty Mako's football team-_ "

"Wrong. You're so wrong."

"Lemme finish! Madly in love with the tall stoic sexy quarterback who can't choose between the brains or the _muscle…!"_

Mako cocked his eyebrow and made a noise that was akin to the word _actually,_ he was getting pretty close. Wu went on, green eyes twinkling splaying his fingers like he was conducting a tiny evil plan, or a raccoon rifling through trash.

"…So they _get in a car!_ Arguing who deserves who when they realise wires are crossed, they think you're spindly and a weenie, and actually want to boink _each other_ and are about to turn back in the high speed chase to show the whole world _what happens when ya break a young gal's heart!_ When _BOO-"_

"Asami wasn't in the car." Mako interrupted.

"-ooom." Wu finished quietly pursing his fingers and his lips before braving a half smile to the officer beside him.

"I'll tell you. But only because at this point the news already has the story." Wu made an odd gleeful noise that earned a slightly derisive look before Mako continued. "L.A bridges undergo a series of structural integrity tests once every, year or so-"

"I'm sorry that was so boring I stroked off for a second."

"You wanna hear it or not?"

"Okay." Wu slapped his cheeks making popping noises and blinking his eyes awake, "Lets do this."

"A tunnel bridge on the west side was passed for inspection but never actually looked at. Something about an internal documenting conflicts. Not the worst of errors, no one could have guessed the consequences would be as severe as they were. The bridge was a round tunnel, above there's an intersecting road where an overloaded lumber truck toppled."

"You sound like you memorised the police report." Wu nudged him playfully.

"I wrote it." Mako admitted, "The driver was on overtime, on top of overtime. Hadn't slept in seventy two hours. Shouldn't have been driving in the first place, but of course he couldn't have guessed the weight would create an entry point in the weakest part of the structure." Mako made an imaginary bridge with his fingertips touching. "The hit was enough to break into it." the fingertips dipped, "the structure below crumbled, the struts, without the concrete, and with the added pressure of the wrecks building above, slid out of place allowing more concrete to fall in quick succession into the tunnel below."

"Korra was in the tunnel?"

"She was at the edge of it, but it was enough. Her car was the front runner and she swerved to let a bus pass and it came down on her in an instant."

"Shi-it."

"After police was called, I called Asami who called her parents and she helicoptered to the scene. The excavation of the whole bridge took twelve hours. Asami argued her way onto the team that took the rubble apart piece by painstaking piece. One wrong move and it would crush her. She'd be damned if she was going to let some stranger make the wrong decision."

Mako was tracing the lines of his own palm when Wu took his fingers.

"Korra was the only survivor out of twenty. Pieces of fibreglass and metal of the car penetrated…the body with such pressure that it stemmed the bleeding. But she was conscious for every second. Only her hand was free. Korra loved the window down, feeling the wind against her hand even though she should be concentrating on other things. So it was just…sticking out. And you knew it was her before you saw the number plate. Tonraq never let it go. Asami, Senna, Tonraq, I'd been a cop for over a year by that point but I'd never seen anyone so helpless."

"It must've been awful, not knowing if the one you loved was going to die."

Mako nodded solemnly, before stealing a look back at his exes, finding a smile at how everything had turned out. He caught the moment Korra combed her fingers through Asami's hair, tucking it behind her ear, smiling into another kiss. He didn't need to see the look on the heiress' face to know it was all she needed.

"Asami took care of her after that. Bo and I visited, Opal too, but we got busy. Asami never left. Every step, every scan, every day. In a way we all knew how she felt before she did. I don't think she ever let herself think it. She was Korra's lifeline and she knew it."

XXXX

"Okay Tonraq, game face. Stay tough." Senna began, raising her phone to a photo of Korra covered in ice cream when she was four years old, "This is not your daughter. This is a soulless little insensitive monster who must be punished." Tonraq's big blues had turned does at the picture. Protesting in an uncharacteristically squeaky voice.

"But- my little-"

"She must _suffer_ for it."

"Are you done?"

"Don't crack."

"And Asami?"

"We're mad at her too."

"But she-"

"I know what she did, she should know better." and with that she pushed on the revolving door to Zoafu.

It only took a second to find them huddled in the corner. Korra smiling bright, hands tangled on the table between them. It gave her parents pause as her laugh cut through the bar and straight into their hearts. Unlocking something they had been sure was lost.

"What was that you said about staying tough?" Tonraq mumbled before Senna sucked in a breath and began marching.

"…Because you wouldn't shut up about me?" Asami hadn't noticed them, she was laughing breathlessly, "You realise how insane that makes you sound?"

Wiping giggle-tears from Korra's eyes with the pad of her thumb before leaning in to press her lips to hers again. She told her she loved her, right around the moment Senna cleared her throat behind them.

They sprang back as though stung, standing in unison, only Asami ended up knocking the table, her chair, a little into Tonraq and also the lamp that was hanging low from the ceiling. The motion also sent all of her blood rushing into her toes.

" _Morning_ Mr and Mrs _Of the Southern Water Tribe."_ She managed, barely legible as her face paled and eyes fluttered.

"Oh crap." Korra reached for her as she fell back, passing out, scooping her arm behind her back and stopping her from head butting the floor. "I may have forgotten to tell her you guys were here." Korra shrugged.

She watched her mother, the nurse, raise her head to check her pupils, and then noticing the mouth shaped bruises on her collar bone.

"For the love of god _Korra."_

"Well this is going about as well as expected." Tonraq grumbled helping Korra lift her onto one of the sofa's nearby. He then turned to get ice from the bar.

 _"I know,_ we were arguing kind of and then we were just talking and she was so happy. I got caught up."

"Not just this but _everything_! We had to find out about this on the _news_. _How could you make this huge decision without telling us?"_

"It wasn't about you." Korra rebuffed. "We weren't thinking about anyone else."

"You know how incredibly selfish that sounds?"

"Don't you think we've earned it?"

 _"_ You were together what? An hour?"

" _Mom_. I knew in a minute!" Korra blurted, "look, it wasn't meant to happen so fast but it makes sense that it did."

"You're telling me alcohol wasn't an inherent ingredient in your getting publicly broadcasted and wed on the same night?"

"I believe it was more the catalyst It was more like a catalyst. We were so caught up in the fact that _everything_ we felt for each other was _real_. "

"We're not saying its not but you have to understand," Tonraq said, as he returned, laying a cold pack on Asami who was just starting to come around, "When your mother and I got married we were older, we'd been together longer-"

"Asami and I have been together for _years,_ maybe not in the biblical sense but… She's smart and funny, and the realest person in the I've ever met. I can't imagine spending eternity with anyone else! _So what_ if we figured out that we were perfect for each other sooner than you? Why wait once you meet that person? Should I not have done it because my family doesn't approve? It wouldn't matter if it was next week, next month, next year - you would have had a problem with it-"

"I would have come!"

"What?"

"We would have come." Senna's voice softened. Asami was conscious now, but had refrained from moving to listen intently, "Every parent dreams of the day their child gets married,"

"I'm not exactly a conventional child am I?" Korra admitted weakly. Asami suddenly felt sick, turning, planting her feet on the ground.

"I'm sorry." She began, "I'll give you two some space."

" _Asami_."

"It's fine Korra. You talk with you parents." She stood to her full height, towering over the water tribe women, she bent down to kiss Korra's cheek and swiftly turned on her heel.

"Great idea Asami, Korra you talk with Tonraq, Asami you're with me."

"What?" Before Asami could comprehend what was going on Senna, had a warm hand on her wrist and yanked her towards the bathroom.

" _Honey_ ,"

"Mrs… Senna." Asami was having a hard time, marching, holding up her cold pack and being able to tell how much of what was occurring was real.

"I get it _Of The Southern Water Tribe,_ is kind of a mouthful, but thats Alaska for you." Senna jibed as the door swung behind them.

"Look, Senna, I get that this is between family, and you need to be there for Korra so say what you need to say to her and I'll try to be supportive…"

"That's absolutely right Asami, between _family_." Senna's eyes finally caught Asami's emeralds, "Do you want to be a part of Korra's family?"

"I…love Korra."

"Well thank you captain obvious. We've known that since 2007. But do you _want_ to be part of our family?"

Asami's ears were still ringing from the bell shaped lamp she had head butted moment ago, neither Senna, nor the silvery decor of the Zoafu Hotel and Casino was clear, but with everything she was at that moment she felt her answer immediately and said.

" _Yes_." because it was true. For every ten calls received from Korra, one was from her parents. Senna had spent the time to check this lost soul wasn't spinning or burning out. She had been the motherly advice she never knew she needed in the absence of her own mother. She couldn't help but envy the way Korra could be enveloped into one of her father's bear hugs. Even before her own parents had disappeared one way or the other, holidays and christmases were much more of a family affair rather than a business affair in Korra's childhood home, and if she ever had doubts about being welcome; it was never for long.

"I was gonna say you already are." For a moment Asami felt like she had just heard Korra herself utter the words, only there was something totally _Senna_ about them. Filled to the brim with that motherly concern, "I can't say I'm happy it happened without us but I'm ecstatic that it was you and it finally happened."

"I couldn't have planned it even if I tried," Asami couldn't help her mad teary grin, "I really did try."

"You had me worried for a while that you never would get it together."

Before she knew it Senna had tugged her down into her nimble embrace.

"Thank you for letting me take care of her." Asami barely managed to whisper the words against Senna's shoulder.

"Letting Korra stay with you was easy. Tonraq may have pulled her out of that godforsaken bridge but you got him there. If it weren't for you I wouldn't have a daughter, let alone two."

At those words the heiress lost herself to the embrace, feeling Senna's grateful arms holing her tight she could barely breathe. Barely aware that her mother-in-law too, was crying.

"Now," The older woman sniffled, "I have a proposition for you."

XXXX

"Dad." Korra gripped the back of her neck as she looked up at the man who towered above her.

"Yeah." Tonraq mirrored her subconsciously, before seemingly finding focus, and feeding his hands into his jacket pocket. "I'm not going to pretend to know your heart Korra."

Tonraq, like his daughter, wasn't prone to big speeches. But when they happened they had a big impact, so the athlete braced herself, braving a look at his face.

"You're a modern woman, and we love that about you. It's made you strong, and clearly, so has Asami."

"Thanks… Dad." Korra struggled with the lump forming in her throat, sneaking a glance to the bathroom where the rest of her family had been ushered off to. Almost too distracted to feel her father take her hand, and push something of silk and bone into it.

"We are lucky, we have traditions where we're from. They may be old, and you may not even want to do it…what I'm saying is," his hand came away to reveal the betrothal necklace, carved with the symbols of the ocean, and the moon. She had known and loved it since childhood, having been her grandmothers and since her passing had been heralded as a precious family heirloom, hanging above her parent's fireplace for at least two decades. "Asami has not only earned a place in our family, but our tribe. I would be honoured, if you could give this to her, and ask her to join us in front of the ocean, ice, moon and spirits," her father had practiced this she could tell, "and we could have a ceremony with us and all your friends welcoming her."

"Like a second wedding?"

"A spiritual one." Tonraq affirmed. Korra could feel Asami in the room behind her without even looking. "Think about it."


	12. Chapter 12

When faced with her new wife, her parents and the idea of taking second gut wrenching step in her adult life something in Korra froze over. Fist clenching and concealing around the necklace before Asami could see she turned and plastered a huge nervous grin over her mouth.

"Oh God," Asami cracked a just-as-nervous smile back, "What did she tell you?" she bounced her eyes to Tonraq who put on his best innocent face, shrugging his hulking shoulders and looking anywhere but at his daughter in law.

" _Just_ -" Korra began, unsure of where this was going as an unbearable heat flared in her cheeks. She felt the low pressure system brewing in her chest that would become soon Hurricane Korra. A lot was changing in the shortest amount of time she thought possible, for once she wanted to savour the perfect calm in her life, and for once, plan how to weather what was waiting them outside of this city. So she lied. "-Telling dad, my dad, about the show tonight. That Opal wants us to see. We should get extra tickets."

"Oh." Asami visibly deflated, and Korra felt that pressure throb for just a moment. Berating herself for her deceit but rationalising it was for the best, and only for now. So she stepped close and kissed her cheek.

"How was the bathroom?" she asked gently, measuring the hitch in Asami's breath under the hand she had placed on her side.

"You really wanna know or are you at a loss for conversation?" the heiress breathed, finding her smile again.

"Well." Korra shrugged grinning back, "Little from column A, little from column B,"

"It's a bathroom Korra," Senna interrupted, "people poop in there."

"Always a pleasure mom. Incidentally are you guys staying long?"

"Of course! Your father and I can't wait to see this _show._ and if it comes up, I was hoping to meet these _friends_ of yours that let you get married on a whim," The tone in Senna's voice said she wasn't bitter, except the mad way her grin met her eyes said _bitch I'm a lemon._

Despite appearances Korra had always been a good kid. She was hard pressed to find an experience where she was in this much trouble, even with her parents and so as this new odd terror gripped her she found herself in a child like state of not being able to open her mouth to find a leg to stand on.

"Fair enough." Asami however, smiled back of all out her phone and tapping away. Korra screamed internally, something about blatantly ignoring her mother mid encounter made her fear double over. She was just about to punch Asami's SatoPhone out of her hand when her wife, satisfied with her virtual endeavours, slid her cell away and looked back up.

Her expression dropped of course when she measured Korra's.

"Well you're going to need somewhere to stay." She explained, uncharacteristically letting her nerves seep through as she combed a hands through her hair, "I booked you into the Diamond Platinum Suite of this hotel." she raised her phone, "and first class flights home in two days, as a… wedding gift?"

The heiress struggled to think of the term for a moment, hoping it didn't seem like she was trying to buy their daughter. It occurred to her if she wanted to go down that route could have offered Tonraq the Sato Rural Beef Division but there's no way that could ever play off in a good light. Oh God and now she wanted to laugh.

"Asami you didn't-"

"-have to be so thoughtful!" Korra blurted that was of course suddenly too loud for the conversation, "But really you guys deserve a break from me - the nuisance and my antics on-line and the news and try not to think about the message boards and chat shows and you can see this city for yourselves!"

"What…" Senna began, but the look on her daughter-in-law's face softened something in her. She wanted her there, and it may have even been a need, and if Korra was going to find the stones to do what she hoped, she wanted to share it with her only family, "Makes it a Diamond-Platinum Suite?"

"It comes with Neil Diamond tickets."

"Ooh!" Three heads whipped around to the odd enthusiastic noise Tonraq made.

"What's that dear?" Senna smirked.

"Thank-" he lowered his voice and octave, "Thank you Asami…we at the Southern Water Tribe are most grateful for your most generous _offering_." Blue eyes clashed and the older man suggested an idea with his eyebrows that, for the moment, Korra didn't want to amuse.

"Hey _look_ there's Mako. MAKO!" Even though they were across the room they could hear him cough, and then choke into his drink. "I'll go deflate him." she sighed, practically sprinting to the other side of the bar.

"I'll never understand you girl's fascination with that boy." Senna mused.

"We still don't understand it," Asami shrugged back. "I'll just go to reception and have them take your luggage to the suite."

"Asami." As she turned, Senna stopped her, "She'll get there, you know what she's like. Everything will be okay."

 _Shouldn't she be telling me that?_ the heiress thought, barely holding back her dread and sorrow. She nodded meekly, squeezing Senna's reassuring hand on her arm before turning away.

Meanwhile, Korra had rushed to Mako's aide, and under that guise she turned to Wu and said,

"I will give you anything you want to distract my parents for twenty minutes."

Mako was about to protest when Wu answered instantly.

"Weekend in the Sato Beach house."

" _Done_." Korra grabbed his hand and shook it.

"Hey!" Mako yelped, "You can't- she can't,"

"Like I want to go there alone." Wu snorted and rolled his eyes, before wiggling his fingers in a wave, "Toodles," as Mako blushed and trained his indignant glare to his ex, " _Oh Mr and Mrs-Korra's Parents."_

"I need you to do me a favour."

"Whatever it is - no."

"C'mon Mako this is important, _for Asami."_

 _"_ How have you screwed it up this fast?"

"I haven't!" Korra defended, "I just want to do something incredible! Because she's incredible! You should know you dated her! _Help me out!"_

 _"No."_

 _"Help me out"_ Korra added in quick succession.

"No,"

 _"Help me out."_

 _"No."_

 _"Help me out."_

 _"Okay!"_

 _"Help me-_ oh _."_

xxxxx

Asami walked back on a peculiar scene. Senna, arms crossed and eyeing Wu; curiously dancing for her husband in a guessing game she was both in protest and terror of. She watched as the limo driver perfectly pliés while dipping his hands and pouting. Without music. Finally something in Tonraq clicks and he yells.

"Beyoncé Knowles!"

"Yes!" Wu cheers, flicking onto the next task on his cell and blinking, "Okay it's a type of wood! Rich wood!"

" _Monogamy!_ " Tonraq insists, missing the full force of his wife's indignant glare.

"You're so close I can taste it Ton Ton!"

Senna's glare switched back into the skinny lunatic standing in front of them.

"Ah the fun has arrived!" Asami turned to her wife's voice, who was already leaning towards her, misjudging and landing a toothy kiss on her jaw. "Sorry."

"What's going on?"

"Oh you know, _frivolities_." Korra faced her with a nervous smile, eyes bouncing away from hers to catch the rest of their group at the door. "Bopal's here."

Asami didn't need to turn to confirm Opal was riding his back, she could hear Bolin signing their annoying piggyback song becoming louder.

"… _and we're the two best friends that anybody could have ,and we're the two best friends that anybody could have…"_

"Ugh couples." she smiled.

"Tell me about it." Korra added, brushing the backs of her knuckles against Asami's beside her.

"Look Padme new people!" Bolin cried stopping beside Asami, jolting her before she could slip her fingers between her wife's.

"Those aren't new people, those are old people."

"Those are Korra's parents."

"Holy shit, this is amazing."

"Alright I'll bite. How?" Korra laughed.

"For my screenplay, this'll be in Sundance by next summer, _Mr and Mrs Watertribe!"_ Opal greeted, waving and going over to hug the parents that were now even more confused.

"Can we sue if she does that?"

"Are you kidding? The Beifong lawyers are legendary there's no way we'd win." Asami sighed, "I think you should be played by Serena Williams."

"Is that all I am to you? Muscles?" Korra hip checked her lightly.

"Your hair is nice." Asami offered shrugging. Turning, combing her fingers through it, and bringing her lips to her ear, and adding in a low silky voice. " _I really like having something to hold onto._ "

Korra gulped and held her breath, trying to calm her sudden erratic heartbeat as Asami's hand slipped away. She did everything not to look directly at her, knowing the combination of her eyes, lips, hands, hair and _fucking breath,_ would start the torrent of unplanned and unsophisticated proposal and possibly, definitely, fucking her right in the Zaofu lobby.

"Are you okay?" the heiress paused her sensual onslaught to ask only Korra nodded.

"I'm fine." Korra braved a look and a smile, "Amazing actually." Before walking over to stand by the now crowded couch. Tonraq had switched with Wu, now raising his muscular arms and wiggling his fingers in something he hoped to portray as a vampire, only it came off more like a gorilla with boss eyes.

"Mako's giving my parents his tickets to La Rêve." she announced, gaining incredulous looks from all parties.

" _What_?" Wu yelped, until he caught Korra mumbling from the edge of her mouth.

" _Beach house._ "

"My boo's still feeling _icky_?" Wu saved it, and Korra had to refrain herself from letting out a _phew._

"You should go check on him." Korra urged.

"I'm comin' shark baby!" he crowed, a discreet devilish grin tugging on his lips as he ran for the bar and dragged the Officer from his perch.

"Opal say nothing." Korra warned.

"I can be quiet!" Opal rebuffed. "I guess it's just the six of us…this changes literally none of my plans. I'm good."

 _"_ It's good to know some of you are capable of making _plans_." Senna seethed, eyes bright with vengeance glimmering in their usually deep and calming blues.

"Mom, we can open that can of worms after the show. Unless, Opal, you want to explain just how Asami and I first got together?"

"That's an option?" Opal beamed.

"Korra no! You know she has no shame!"

"No but I have pictures!"

" _Let's go_!" Korra groaned, leaning down and grabbing her parents by their shirts and yanking them out of the hotel.

Senna twisted her neck to look back at Asami, hugging herself as though she had suddenly been left out in the cold. Every passing moment filled her with dread, whether it was because Senna's proposition and prediction of Korra's proposal hadn't been realised, or the fact that her wife barely looked her in the eye since her parents had surprised them.

She considered for half a second that her temporarily unconsciousness might have scrambled her perception, or even that she had been knocked into a coma of a terrible alternate reality where Korra no longer loved her.

The rest of the seconds and of course the hundreds after were dominated by the notion that her parents had reminded Korra of what she had always wanted in life. The pair were unflappable. Asami's perception of surviving relationships was unfortunately narrow. Tonraq and Senna were a niche, and the apex of that niche was thirty years of happy marriage, an emotional bond stronger than words and a daughter who's heart was a pure as gold. At least thats where Korra's friends were concerned, and when faced with that sheer perfection and expectation of what a water tribe lover was capable of, Asami feared she realised she could never have that perfection with her.

But of course there was their years of friendship to consider, secret and one-sided parallel longing, and a night and a morning of the best sex Asami couldn't imagine. How could she act when she realised what she thought she had desired after all this time was i fact a lie? So she stayed, gave Asami nervous misplaced kisses and hand touches. All the while the knowledge that she was about to break the heiress' already fragile heart kept her eyes from lingering. Without looking directly into them however, Asami couldn't be sure.

"Honey?" A voice as sweet of the word pulled her out of her languor. Se looked for Senna, but found that it was her daughter speaking to her, still not looking, and this time hovering her hand over her arm as they sat in the cab, "We have to get out now…of the car…because we're here."

As they slipped from their steel trap Asami felt the chasm between their two cliffs growing, not because she had moved, but with every step she could feel Korra's tectonic plates shifting, and turning away. She wanted to talk, but at the same time didn't. Thinking that this shift could only spell the worst for them.

As she walked Asami knew that despite everything she had been pondering and the phobias she was now cultivating, she would love Korra until she was the last light of her consciousness on this Earth. Even if it meant she would never be with, kiss, touch or taste her ever again. And she knew she wasn't out of the running just yet, thumbing her new wedding band she slipped her hand through her wife's arm, not turning her head to note the way she didn't so much as turn her neck to acknowledge her. Together silently and separately they followed their friends and family into the theatre.

Korra tensed her bicep against the heiress' hand, feeling her grip tighter making her heart palpate and stomach coil. It was ridiculous, she thought, how attracted she was to the woman beside her. She found herself musing whether the walls of the entrance to this theatre could hold their weight if Korra pushed and raised her against it.

As they sat she turned her head away to view the rest of their party, Tonraq next to Senna, Senna next to _oh crap,_ Opal, how was chatting while spinning her cell in her fingers. Korra rolled her eyes as she kept her eyes forward, smirking a little as she remembered the night where Opal's evidence was created. She reached across her chest to touch Asami's hand, tracing her thumb across the knuckles as they settled into their seats. Both bodies became with an incapacitating loving warmth at the gentle touch.

The aquatic aerial accolades below them started. House lights dimmed, and glimmers of sequins water and strobe flitted from centre stage. Dancers in couples took to the air, clinging to each other, knowing one finger out of place would likely cause them to fall. Asami tried not to imagine Korra losing her grip. But here she was, next to her, practically holding her hand as they watched performers dance with water and fire and each other, and like that they stayed until a single couple took centre stage. Pedestals rose around them, raising water falls that they hopped between like ethereal spirits.

When they came together they were in perfect harmony, faces close as if to tease a kiss but pulling away as they twisted into a new arc.

Asami couldn't help but take a hint of her own, turning in the private dark of the theatre to watch her wife watching the people centre stage intensely. The heiress felt so raw this moment that reaching up to stroke Korra's hair felt like playing with fireworks. Light and chemicals reacting in a cataclysmic explosion that could indeed scorch her if not protected, but still extraordinarily beautiful all the same. She couldn't help the tug that Korra's aura gave her, indeed it seemed that way from the reflections of the water and beams coming from below but on the soccer star's skin became a siren's song that the industrialist had to taste.

Korra inclined her head a little, if only to feel the finger tracing her jaw, only as she turned she didn't realise just how close Asami had gotten. She flinched.

So did Asami. The move twanged something taut in painful in her chest that she was now sure had broken, and suddenly every mistake the heiress had ever made came rushing to the forefront of her mind, and then some occurrences that she was as yet unsure if they were part of them. So she did the one thing she knew from experience worked well, if only for a short while; she ran.

Buffeted by the warm night air and strobe neon that was becoming blazing she marched as far from it as she could.

" _Asami_!"

Korra was close behind, the heiress chided herself for trying to escape the athlete on foot. her strong hand clasped around her elbow.

"Get off!"

"Why?"

"Just stop."

"What's the matter with you?"

"What's the matter? With me? Seriously Korra? _What's the matter with you!_ You're doing an incredible job of avoiding me whilst holding my hand."

"I'm not avoiding you I'm just…"

" _What_? I feel like I'm going crazy. This morning was so perfect and then your parents show up and you completely seize up." Asami didn't know how to process how Korra reacted to that, sh checked their surroundings, and suddenly she felt like some dirty little secret. That feeling was amplified tenfold when Korra replied.

" _Please don't do this right now."_

"Oh my god," Asami breathed, "What are you ashamed of me or something? Are you afraid of what your parents think? Am I not good enough for your tribe or whatever?"

"No! _You know they love you_. I love you. I want to be with _you._ "

"You flinched Korra!"

"I know I'm sorry I was just _surprised_."

" _Surprised_." The heiress scoffed, turning on her heel to walk further into the dark.

" _Don't go that way!_ " If Asami was a car her tyres would have screeched furiously against the asphalt.

"Do you really think you should be telling me what to do right now Korra? Why?"

"Just…please. I can't lie to you but just don't go that way."

"You wont lie to me but you wont tell me the truth either."

"It's complicated."

Asami rolled her eyes at her weirdness. Marching instead towards the strobe and sleaze. A western themed, horn adorned bar was the closest. A thought occurred to her as she reached the bar, the last big step she made in her relationship with Korra was preluded with a sharp and mind altering buzz from alcohol. Suddenly she wanted to numb what was coming.

"Tequila."

"No tequila today. Only _tequila bull slammers!"_ The barman grinned at the changed name and Asami blanched at the stupidity of it all. Impatient and uncaring she put a bill on the bar and muttered,

"Whatever."

Her fingers took the sticky glass and raised it to eye level, toasting the relationship that may have been just a beautiful lie. Until Korra knocked it out of her hand and sent it splattering to the bar.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Testing out my State Depended Memory."

"Not here. _Let's talk._ "

"I don't want to." Asami sighed, looking up, begging the barn like structure to show mercy and open up the heavens so miracles could fall onto them. "I don't want to lose you."

Before she could look down to see the turning tide that was Korra's confused expression, into one of content smiling, strong arms had her by her waist and was lifting her through the patrons. She yelped and struggled and Korra was of course charging after her as she was moved, only to come to the edge of a coral.

When she came to in the foray of strong bodies, Asami realised she was centre stage straddling an awful smelling bull.

"Holy fucking shit."

 _"We got another tequila bull slammer contestant!_ " the DJ announced and patrons hooted. Korra made to climb over the barrier but a bouncer yanked her back.

The bull began to gyrate, and as it rotated she caught Korra's terrified if confused gaze.

" _We need to talk_." Korra mouthed, but Asami turned away soon after with the bull. It dipped and began to pick up pace and she gripped tighter with her thighs to keep from falling. As it rose and fell she rode with it, using the concentration to stay upright to effectively shut off her brain from the storm outside this coral.

She swore as she spun, the world changed, it tipped like water in an orb and at the middle was Korra, lips curling up as she watched her wife arch her back and neck to follow the ebb and flow. The mechanics lurched suddenly, but something in the heiress was prepared, her one arm gripping the rope at its front, and the other sweeping long locks over her ear to her centre point of focus. Two blues in the audience.

In 16 seconds her mirth returned, despite liquor never reaching her lips her blood was full of the warm glow that came with Korra's full undivided attention. Tonight, better than their first night looking at each other anew without the haze of Opal's drinking games, Asami felt a confidence finally to pursue and seduce the woman she loved. And Korra relished in seeing the woman she loved finally freeing herself from responsibilities unfairly thrust upon her. It was then she realised now was in fact the perfect time to be together, now, they were ready.

The bull finally slowed. The audience cheered and laughed, bouncers helped the heiress from her steed like a queen. Blush high on her neck she let her eyes find the full force of Korra's stare and found herself facing a look of challenge she had encountered twice before. And then she was gone. She slipped though the crowd and the flopping sounds of swinging doors echoing in Asami's ears.

She'd never felt her feet move so fast, retrospectively she realised that it was her heart pulling her at light speed at the time. Emerging from the bar she spotted Korra, sauntering slowly, leading her into the dark where she had, ten minutes ago, had forbidden Asami to go.

The heiress missed the shuffling and the muffled _shit,_ to follow the fae in front of her. As neon faded, candle light took over. Her heart stopped, coincidentally so did her feet. The pair circled with each other, and Asami's eyes, wide open took in the scene before her. Strings linked small trees at the apex of this park. Pegged onto those were photos, and it wasn't until she spotted the now printed copy of Korra's screensaver, the athlete on the heiress' back after a day at the races, did she realise that snap shots of their life had been used as decoration for this…whatever this was. Antique lamps lit the photographs with a gentle warm light, and Asami felt that warmth floating like fireflies up and down from her feet to her chest. Blankets covered grass, and at the edges white lotus' framed the tartan.

Another muffled, _shit,_ came from the edge of the light, a match was lit, and sparklers attached to trees were lit. The heiress caught Mako sucking his burnt finger before retreating into darkness.

"I'm sorry I made you worry." Korra's voice, as soft and gentle as she'd ever heard, turned her without touching,"I wanted to plan this, and surprise you…I didn't realise how hard it is to keep secrets from you, I thought I was gonna blab if I looked at you… I just didn't want it to seem that I go into everything head first. I guess I wanted to show you how much I care."

Asami clasped her hands over her mouth to keep from letting out any embarrassing noises, but mainly to keep her organs from leaping out face first.

"Oh man this is probably confusing to someone not of my tribe…"

"No!" Asami blurted, "No it's not. I know what's happening." She clamped her mouth shut lest she ruined it, that and Korra's lips curling in that perfect half smile held her breath hostage.

"We didn't really get to do this the first time around, _but I want you to know everything that happened that night between us was perfect._ But my dad came up with this idea. Because of where I'm from."

Korra stepped close but not too close, pulling a palm sized box from her pocket and dropping down on one knee.

"Marriage doesn't exactly join people into the tribe," she went on, holding her fingers over the box but not opening it, "And you know…tribe is family which you are definitely a part of…" She closed her eyes, feeling her own heart thrum deeply in her chest, the sound alone was enough to confuse her she was so nervous, "what I'm saying is. I want you in every part of my life."

"Asami Sato. Daughter of Hiroshi and Yasuko. Wife of…well _me."_ Asami let out a short nervous laugh and Korra would have too if her throat wasn't so numb, "Will you join me in front of the moon, the ocean, the ice and the spirits, and complete our family in front of everyone we love?" With that she opened the box, and caught in candle light was the carved stone that promised so much.

At first Asami said nothing, her body knew her answer before she did, falling on her knees and embracing the Water Tribe Woman at her feet.

" _Yes_." it was muffled in Korra's neck but clear in her mind. Her arms came up around her and told her with her squeeze that she never wanted to let go. Asami pulled back however, lips seeking home against hers, kissing her best friend soft and true. All the while Korra's hands worked the necklace around her neck, and let it hang at the base of her throat before stroking the bone and silk. "I'm sorry," she added, "You were just trying to do something nice and I almost ruined it."

"It's fine we got here." Inadvertently, Korra had uttered the perfect thing. As was her way. "That's all that matters."

The next breath was stolen by dark lips finding red ones. Lipstick silky and mouth insistent, Asami cupped Korra's jaw and begged for something longer sighing lightly that sent icy shivers scoring down the athlete's spine. Until a coo from beyond the darkness interrupted them and Korra leaned back and groaned.

" _You can come out now_."

Hooting and clapping, Opal, Bolin, Mako, Wu and the _Of The Southern Water Tribes_ emerged, Senna dabbing tears while her husband blubbered.

"It's just so beautiful!" he hiccoughed, Bolin was of a similar emotional state as he propped the older man up.

"Up top second wedding!" Opal grinned her cheshire grin, holding her hand for either of the Sato's to high five except she was only met with beleaguered mocking stares, before they broke into giggles and Korra kissed Asami's cheek.

Opal took her high five with Wu.


	13. Chapter 13

Four years ago.

Alone in the study of her house, and Korra's temporary care home, working late had become Asami's habit. At first to find time for work while Korra recovering and broken, could sleep peacefully in the next room, while leaving her days relatively free to take care of her.

Somedays this would exhaust the heiress so much however, she could fall asleep at her desk. Most nights she would dream in loops of what she had planned for the next day, and then wake up and have to relive it as though she had never closed her eyes at all. Still it never stopped her from trying, hand on her cheek and elbow on the desk, the files in her hand went limp as she drifted.

Until she flinched, feeling warmth brush her fingers as the papers were saved from being scattered at her feet. Their feet.

"Korra!" She'd been too numb to notice Korra now with her. Odd.

" _Hey_." Asami watched a nervous smile tug her lips, barely noticing the fact that she was fully dressed at 4am. Her hair was long, and while it had been for a while she hadn't styled it since her accident, tied in wolf and pony tail, she looked as happy as she could ever remember her being.

But the Korra she knew was bedridden. The Korra she knew couldn't stand.

"You're walking!"

"I know." Korra said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, it was charming and annoying in the same moment.

Asami stood too quickly to gauge what she was seeing. Korra reached out to steady her, Asami felt her heart plunge at the sight of her left hand, the one that had reached out of rubble once, the hand that bore the wounds as fresh as the day she got them.

Her right brushed the heiress' jaw, and trained her gaze on icy blues.

"I wanted to thank you for that."

"But I-"

" _Thank you_." the hand on Asami's jaw began to glide comfortably, but her face was so numb she couldn't feel it, shock, exhaustion, who knows. The heiress' head was spinning as her best friend cupped her cheek. "Asami…" her left hand came up now fingertips gracing her neck,

"What are you doing?" It was quiet, and the heiress might have yelled at herself internally for ever questioning it in the moment if her mind wasn't completely enthralled by the way Korra was looking at her. Not her. Her lips. Korra touching her like this was unprecedented, despite wanting more Asami could do nothing but twist her fingers against each other.

Even in darkness Korra's eyes held a light all their own, Asami could see every angle of her perfect cheeks, the playful curl in her wide lips, the sprinkling of freckles that went unnoticed by anyone who didn't love her.

Desperately she searched for signs of madness in Korra, that she was sleep walking, or even if this was a fantastical side effect of the drugs she'd been taking for the last year. But standing before her was a calm, clear blue eyed, wide awake woman, tracing her thumb over the creche of her lower lip. There was her answer, but the word kiss didn't seem enough, it stole Asami's heart all the same.

Korra moving in made her breath shudder, until her lips pressed against her own. For a second she felt cold. She was freezing enough it stilled her spinning mind, and then as Korra's mouth fell away, the razors edge that her nerves were balanced on allowed them to teeter, and plummet. Her own hands finding a reputable grip as she tugs her back, disbelieving and frantic hands find her shoulder blades and pull her back.

Korra's fingers thread into the silk of Asami's hair, but she can scarcely feel it.

All that existed was Korra's lips, warm against her own and sending pulses of pleasure scoring through her body in wave after wave, crashing at her edges and swirling low in her stomach.

The younger woman's mouth opens, and Asami's response is coupled with a sigh, a moan, and her name.

"Ngh _Korra_." Teeth tug at ruby gloss, and she feels the fireworks, once crackling burst in a foray beneath her breast as a tongue traces patterns against her own.

In the next moment her mouth falls away, and Asami can't help but feel the Earth has dipped from its axis, and all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room.

The hands against the shoulder blades came up empty and cold, while she was indeed clutching woman who was no longer under rubble; it was now how she appeared to be. Her crisp white shirt was stained with red, hair matted with blood and dust. Lips once eager now trembling and eyes closed as sweat and blood dripped from her brow she allowed their foreheads to touch.

" _Korra_?"

Before Asami could get another word out Korra spoke.

Buried under the bridge, in a moment of despair Tonraq had let go of his daughter's hand and Asami had caught it.

In that very moment Korra blindly wrapped her fingers around Asami's thumb and squeezed with what energy ten hours of darkness had left her with. She had gripped, and Asami buried the notion that it was simply because she knew she was holding her hand.

Driven by a feeling she could not place, and a love she had not yet been able to express out loud the heiress had bowed her head, and clumsily kissed Korra's skin for the first, and fortunately not the last time. As she tasted the back of her knuckles, ashy with dust and regret, she vowed that she would try everything in her power to bring Korra and herself to a place where she could express everything she felt for her. A vow she would not see realised until five years later.

In the quiet agony of Asami's home office, Korra repeated five words. Bleeding, scared, she had said.

" _I don't want to die_."

Waking then was like being yanked back into reality through the eye of a needle. The present wherein she was in fact married to Korra.

She knew this was real from the pounding in her chest and the cold sheen of sweat between her shoulder blades usually come coupled with nightmares.

From within Korra's childhood bedroom at the Southern Water Tribe her eyes wide open she took in the surroundings she failed to investigate on the early morning after flying in from LA. The pair had fallen into bed exhausted from their flight and had partaken in a deep and primal kind of sleep, where the subconscious reigned free.

Until this night she'd never even seen Korra's parents house before, at least not the chieftains' family home they kept in Alaska.

Korra lived here from infancy until she was ten, hilariously it had not changed since then. In the corner sat a huge white polar bear dog sat stuffed, judging the heiress solemnly from it's vigilant post as Asami was spooned by it's owner. Soccer trophies winked at her from shelves. A gap toothed Korra grinned out at her arms slung around the necks of her parents at one of her father's humanitarian festivals; winter wild flowers falling into her eyes as her mother blew a raspberry onto her cheek. From this photo her eyes drew to the alarm clock, 4 am.

"Oh _God,"_ She whispered burying her cheek into the pillows in an attempt to block out the flashes of Korra's accident, the life they had left behind, and only returned to in dreams. She had known a girl who would laugh with her until she was breathless, a thousand years ago, a girl who had no qualms about running head first into the fray. Who had ridden in Sato Supercars behind her, and not even needed to hold her hand to keep the world from caving in around her.

Still there were other ways of making her wife breathless now. The first half of the dream she'd had before. Several times, with many elaborate variations. In the month since they'd been married Asami had seen some of her dreams come true in spectacular fashion.

As the carmaker took stock of their positions one, or rather two, things became apparent.

Something Korra had discovered holding Asami while she slept under her touch the heiress' skin became impossibly supple. Her subconscious was drawn to pressing as much of her own against it during the night, whether it was because the balms and expensive soaps or her sheer natural magnetism, for the athlete it was like holding heaven in her hands. Korra's hands had slipped into Asami's camisole and the heiress awoke with her palms cupping her breasts.

A thumb stroked over her nipple as Korra sighed and repositioned herself in the bed behind her. Asami couldn't help the tense thrumming that coursed through her heart at the gentle move, to which her body responded instantly as her nipples raising into hardened points. The lips at the back of her neck didn't help either. Kissing it as she stirred Korra asked,

" _You okay baby_?" The tone of her voice told the heiress that Korra wasn't awake enough to tell what she was doing to her, and honestly, it drove her wife crazy. Asami couldn't make a noise that wouldn't be completely embarrassing in the cold light of day, but to relieve the growing tension between her legs she rubbed her thighs together. "Asami?"

Korra's spacial awareness clicked, then, and adorably the newness of their relationship flustered her completely.

"I am soso sorry I-" Asami clasped her hand before she removed it completely, and turned her head so she had a hope of looking Korra in the eye.

" _Fuck me_." Asami breathed. The athlete pulled herself up so her she could properly gauge what was going on.

Korra stared hard at the silhouette she'd been holding, the jewel of a glint in her now dark eyes and the gleam of blue reflected from the moonlit room. Asami had turned, fingers curling at the back of Korra's neck gently, not quite tickling, as she leaned up and pressed a soft open mouthed kiss against her lips.

When she pulled away she added, in a tone as rich and smooth as honey, squeezing Korra's fingers lightly as she spoke.

"I want you to take this hand, and I want you to fuck me."

The soccer star considered how her inescapable desire to be obedient to magical woman beneath her was at once thrilling and terrifying. As her eyebrows shot up, she revisited a thought she'd had earlier that day, that being with the heiress these past few weeks left Korra with a perpetual warmth that kept her happier than she ever remembered being and standing by her side with their fingers tangled was like standing in a mirage of a tropical climate. But every so often, similarly to the night they had first kissed, Asami let out a magnificent solar flare and mind blowing happiness, that Korra wished to reciprocate tenfold.

A smile found her lips before she dipped her head to take Asami's in a deep penetrating kiss. Her hands reaffirmed their place, pinching lightly at the peaks and kneading gently. Her fingertips spiralled inwards from the cup to her areola, slowly, letting the sensations build in the woman beneath her, feeling glory in the way she was winding and twitching beneath her.

Korra took her mouth away to nip and tease her jaw, gleeful in the way the heiress could no longer verbalise coherent thoughts. The athlete brought her fingers down the centre of her sculpted abdomen, stopping at the hem of her shorts, and raking her nails back up. The heiress in response gave a needful shudder, raising one hand to curl into Korra's locks, training her lips over her own, and the other over the wrist of Korra's that teased her.

Usually she loved the way Korra tempted her, she loved the way sex could last longer than a few hours in the bedroom. Korra could have her thinking about it in the shower, as Asami put on lotion to make her skin soft for her, knowing that the water tribe woman couldn't get over, or enough of the soft flesh under her palms and lips.

Choices that didn't seem so difficult when she was single had completely changed, right down to the underwear the heiress chose, that she knew Korra would be tearing off her. Korra was a foreplay force to be reckoned with on all levels, texting her in meetings, or on slow days that were just the right amount of filthy, not pictures, just raw sexual poetry. Even the placement of her hand against the small of Asami's back had her thinking about what she would do once finally alone, what it would be like to kiss her that first time behind closed doors.

But right now Asami could hardly bear it. Tugging on the wrist she guided Korra's hand down, and without resistance her wife's hand found familiar patterns. Parting lips below as she did above, working in unison, that made Asami shudder and voice emerge unrestrained.

" _Your skin feels amazing._ " Korra mumbled as she leaned back so her front aligned with Asami's side, had still working against her bucking hips as her fingers slipped past her entrance and heel of her palm pressed against her thrumming stiff clit. Asami could barely hear it as she felt her orgasm pooling in her stomach, and tingling in her toes. Both hands gripped in her chestnut locks and lips alternating before kissing and sighing over and over.

" _I'm coming-I'm coming-I'm coming-!"_ Korra's hand pumped mercilessly in response, and her mouth silenced her with a final kiss as the heiress' whole body arched and flexed. Korra put her weight on her strategically, knowing it prolonged Asami's pleasure and the feeling of closeness at that moment was the most sharp it could ever be between the two of them. As the heiress twitched and unclenched from around her fingers, she finally took the deep breaths she had been holding. Taking the tender kiss she always gave her on her come-down. The carmaker's hands moving from her matted locks to her jaw, telling her she loved her without so much as making another sound.

Then, suddenly, Korra began to chuckle.

"What?" Asami whispered, now suddenly aware that she had just been finger-fucked in Korra's childhood bedroom, with her parents down the hall, and even Opal, Bolin and Mako and Wu in guest bedrooms around the house.

"I've never heard you curse so much." Korra let her fingers slick out of her best friend, before lowering her lips to her ear and adding softly, "It's the sexiest fucking thing I've ever heard."

As she came up again she could see more light on Asami's face, the lilt in her eyes and her lips, kissed free of lipstick smiling gently.

"All I wanted was your fingers inside my fucking cunt, fucking me until all I can see is stars."

"Asami!"

"Now you blush? Your hand is literally in my pants right now Korra!"

"What brought on fuck-monster Asami? Not that I don't love it." Korra questioned, and then corrected. " _Her._ You." But the heiress silence then was telling, as she debated whether or not to share her sex dream turned nightmare. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing really. I just woke up as _Sexy Asami_. Your hands on my tits made sure of that."

"I'd apologise but I'm sure she appreciated that I didn't leave her hanging. I mean she did wake me up from a perfectly good sleep, just so she could tell my entire household she was coming in a variety of different ways…"

" _Sexy Asami is not to be trusted._ She's obsessed with her nipples and uses the word _twat_ un-ironically."

"I'm sure nobody heard us. You. It was all you." Korra couldn't keep her laughter in now, burying her face in the pillow at the heiress' neck. Her levity was short lived however, finding that the heiress wasn't laughing but lost in thought, combing her nails through her short hair seeking comfort and stability. "Whatever it is you can tell me. I promise I'll make it okay."

Asami marvelled in the innocent determination of such a statement, but immediately she believed her and so told her,

"I had a bad dream. It was a good dream but it went bad."

"Are you worried about the ceremony tomorrow?"

"Well I wasn't until you mentioned it," Korra knew by the way she was smiling she was kidding. She readjusted her hands, one across her stomach leaving a trail of wetness just above the hem of her shorts, the other behind her neck, playing with the silk at the back of her head. "I just remembered how far we've come." Her pale fingers found a very specific place on Korra's body, the top right corner of her now taut abdomen, and the scar that marred its edge. "You've come." she corrected.

"You know we're not-"

"I know we're not in any danger. I've just been ruminating, and by ruminating I mean thinking, not chewing kind, things are going so well for us. For me." Asami's hands held that perfect face again, "You know that doesn't happen to me without some kind of consequence."

"Well you are about to meet my cousins, meeting them for the first time could be compared to some kind of natural, emotional disaster."

"You've briefed me on Eska and Desna, I'm as prepared as I was for my SAT's." Asami's lips found her smile, but her eyes told a different, deeper story, "I wish I could stop looking over my shoulder."

"It's perfectly natural for a controlling psychopathic CEO," Korra shrugged.

"Hey!"

"We're already as solid as stone. We're new, and your old life is just creeping through wanting you back." Korra had free'd her hand from behind her neck and her thumb was now stroking the creche of her lower lip, "Nothing can tear us apart."

XXXXX

Korra woke that morning to Asami's tongue eating her out, instinct buried the fingers of her left hand into her dark illustrious locks between her locking thighs and the other put her knuckles between her teeth. The cold light of morning ebbed through in streams, but she knew her parents were early risers, let alone the bright eyed and bushy tailed nature of their bridal entourage loose somewhere in her childhood home.

Her barely open eyes focused on sticker-stars on her ceiling, concentrating on not releasing the keening sound at the back of her throat as Asami's tongue and fingers did wonderful things. She was afraid she'd draw blood as the heiress' hand gripped her thigh and sucked mercilessly on her clit.

When her world came to a crescendo of shuddering twitching orgasm Asami's lips came away with a deft pop. Pulling her shorts to rights before kissing her way up her body on every patch of bare skin she could find.

"I couldn't stand the thought that we weren't even."

" _Yeah?_ " Korra panted, "I'm so glad I married you."

Asami snickered and pressed her ear onto Korra's chest as strong arms wrapped around her.

"Yeah we made a good call on that one."

" _Hey guys!_ " The monthlyweds flinched as Opal swung open the door. Asami yelped as Korra, by instinct, twisted away only to vault them both off her bed, "Gross where baby Korra slept? Ew."

"Opal!" Korra whined. "Knock much?"

"Whatever, mama _Of The Southern Water Tribe_ said if Asami's stopped _coming,_ to come down for mass breakfast in fifteen. _Sickos!"_

"My mother would not say that!" But Opal was gone and Asami was laughing, her forehead tickling her cheek. " _This is all so hilarious_." Korra seethed. "They already think I'm sex mad because of Periscope,"

"Even if it wasn't live I would have send it to TMZ," Asami confessed, working her way onto her knees, "You would not believe the publicity the company has been getting. We've gone from rich to _filthy stinking rich,_ "

"Because I'm with you for your money."

"Well you did leave a cheque for eighty thousand dollars, addressed to you I might add, at the Bellagio to chase after me."

"Holy crap it's still there isn't it."

"Yup." Asami said popping her lips on the last letter. Korra sat up and gave her lips a peck.

"Worth every penny." she grinned.

" _Ladies!"_ Opal kicked the door again to get them moving.

Korra wore shorts and a hockey jersey combo, and as Asami clawed her hair into a pony tail she did the same, only to an adorable tufted tail. Asami wore leggings and Korra's pee-wee soccer t-shirt that sat snug on her shoulders and chest.

"Eyes up here honey." She jibed as they stopped before her door.

"You're wearing my hoodie." Korra wrapped it around her before she could protest and shoved her out the bedroom.

They were greeted by a severely de-caffinated Mako, face down on the kitchen island, and Bolin on his computer opposite them, next to him Opal directed his editing the wedding video they were preparing for the reception. Korra went to help her mother with the cooking,

"That, there _that bit there._ " she commanded and Bolin clicked dutifully.

"How's editing going? Need a second-third pair of eyes to help?" Asami offered coyly. Since filming their part, not that she remembered most of it anyway, she's been dying to see what Bopal had conjured. She thought it was just a sweet, inebriated interview with her spouse, but every so often she catches the stunt double mentioning hiring extras, actors and cinematographers. While she wasn't paying for any of it, Opal assured her that the production value was going to be through the roof.

"If you watch this before it is ready," Opal began without raising her eyes from the screen, "it'll melt your face off and then where will you be? At a second wedding with ugly wedding photos. I will not be responsible for _that_." She pushed a headphone in her ear and listened to some play back before kissing her boyfriends temple and squeaking " _You're a genius_!"

"Is it ready now?" Asami asked.

"Can it Sato," Opal snapped, "I can cut it so I can make you the villain of the piece!"

" _Who's the villain of the piece now_?"

"Mako." Bolin shrugged.

"Hey!" the officer raised his head to glare at them, "I am misrepresented in that whatever it is they're making!"

"Mako's seen it?"

"And if he talks any more about it I will rip out his spleen through his _eyeballs_!" Opal said sweetly with an evil grin plastered over her lips.

"N'aww scnhookums." Wu crooned, from his position on the floor the heiress now realised.

"Wu why are you letting Naga sit on you?"

"I am the chosen one." he answered wistfully,

"His allergy medicine is the drowsy kind but he's staying awake anyway." Mako explained.

"She had picked me as her throne and she's so majestic." Wu continued, mostly to himself. Naga whined and stretched her paws, getting comfortable on the skinny limo driver.

A plate touched the island and Asami stood straight, a curious habit whenever Senna entered the room.

"At ease Asami." Korra jibed and Asami blushed.

"So Asami." Senna addressed her, "Are you ready to become a member our Tribe today?" the coy smile on her lips somehow put everything in the carmaker's rushing mind at ease.

"Sounds perfect,"


	14. Chapter 14

"You know you don't have to do this."

" _Korra_."

"I'm just saying! There's other ways to do it you know."

"We've had this planned for two weeks! You proposed this and now you want me to back out? After all your family came here, _while we're waiting for Tenzin's family at the airport._ " The heiress lifted the make shift sign that had "The Temple" written on it in lipstick.

"It's not backing out! I thought you could make a quilt, you could create a precious artefact for the tribe _hell_ you could even go hunting and drag a carcass back across the tundra after sleeping in it!"

"You think that last one would really eek out the danger factor?"

"Not for Asami Sato - gadget extraordinaire, I mean you must have a super heated tent mansion in your utility belt." Korra grabbed her by her hips and turned to inspect.

"What is on my belt right should be used for _sailing_ , knives and rope approved by your father I might add. _And no matter how many times you suggest it I am not becoming Batman_."

"But you have a backstory and everything!"

"And a tiny sidekick?"

" _Vertically challenged!"_ Korra surprised herself with how squeaky her voice came out and Asami did her best to stifle her laugh. Letting the sign balance on her hip, she took her mittened hands and cupped Korra's pouting cheeks. "Not even going to mention the people who die doing this."

"Oh really how many?" at that Asami crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow.

"Well…none that I can think of - but are you really gonna take that chance?"

"Yes."

"I forbid you." Korra snapped desperately.

"You _forbid me?"_

"Yes you're my wife." Korra folded her arms too, back straight, making herself as tall as possible despite the fact her wife was losing patience and looming herself. Before she lost conviction she added. "Do as I say."

It was then that Asami lost her resolve, knees buckling and laughing against Korra's shoulder. Who sighed and lifted her arms to embrace her.

"It's not funny." she tried, which only doubled her wife's giggles.

"I know, I'm sorry." the heiress wheezed, "your face!" she mocked her deep serious tone, " _I forbid you."_

 _"Asamiii,"_ Korra reared back to pout some more, "You had to pick the most dangerous one."

"I chose ice dodging because you did it." the heiress countered, " _Korra the Brave_."

"I was an idiot I was eighteen." Korra huffed waving her hands and car keys, the huge rusty red 'K' keyring flailing in her hand.

"I know you're worried." the carmaker softened her voice, holding the keys and potentially dangerous weapon in her wife's hand. "I know your ice dodging was a damn near disaster in that storm, but you got through it. And so did your father, and Senna. I can too. I have two of the best stunt doubles in the world with me."

"I'm not exactly psyched your doing this with two professional fakers."

"And Tonraq, I stress, I wouldn't be doing this without your dad."

"Oh yeah such a great man with _so many ideas!_ And another thing-!" Asami dove and silenced her tirade with a precise kiss. The judgemental finger Korra was about to wave became the hand that caressed the heiress' neck, and much to her disgruntlement her voice only came out as a keening sigh of delight.

" _Korrasami_!" Jinora spotted them, hauling her suitcase in front of a convoy of her siblings and parents. But the heiress could hardly hear them, lost in the lips of her everything. Secretly loving the fact that she was going spare over the worry of her doing a little extreme sports.

"You're cute." Asami told her pulling away, smiling at the many conflicting emotions being brought forth in Korra, bubbling and evident from the blush darkening her cheeks.

"Oh. You too." She relented.

"Can you guys stop with the romance for five minutes!" Jinora berated hooking her nimble arms around their necks so that their foreheads bonked together, "So Sato are you ready to destroy a precious family heirloom?"

"And like that, the confidence I was building in you has vanished." Korra lamented, picking the smaller girl up off the ground in a bear hug.

"What's good Korra?" Jinora wheezed wiggling out of her grip. She expertly dodged a hair ruffle.

"So Asami… was this one of the variables you calculated for?"

"Oh Jinora," Asami countered back with a plastered smile and an uneven voice, "You're gonna want to shut your trap now."

"No Jinora, open it. Give me dirt on my wife please." Asami didn't know where to settle her evil eye at first, until Jinora opened her mouth she received the brunt of her glare.

"Who needs to open it when I can show you. With gifts!" Alarmingly she snapped her fingers the exact second Kai, her boyfriend - now not a secret, caught up with her, "Gifts sweetie."

Kai swept a habitual reconnaissance look for Tenzin, until Jinora nudged him and he opened his back pack and dug out the box. With a pop it sprung open, spitting confetti, and three flags. One rainbow, one with the words "#LoveWins" and the last, which made Asami cover her face with her palms, bore the word "Freak." All the while Lady Gaga's _Born This Way_ played from a tiny speaker inside.

"That's so weird and elaborate I love it!" Korra crowed admiring the tiny diorama, "Wait, I don't get that last one."

"It's a freak flag, Korra." Asami all but seethed, Korra and Jinora shared sisterly smiles as Korra mused.

"And in Vegas we let it fly."

"Well this is just part one,"

"Can't we wait until we're away from your dad?" Kai asked.

"Or forever?" Asami added, guessing where this was going.

"I will make no such promises."

"Hey look text screen grabs."

" _Christ no."_ Asami's fears were confirmed as the young stunt double flicked up texts from the night she got together with, engaged to and consequently married to the woman who now was holding Jinora's phone.

"Let your freak flag fly Slami. Exclamation point, _exclamation point_." Korra grinned leaning away from Asami's sweeping grasp.

"Why?" She begged Jinora, "Why didn't you delete that pure unadulterated smutty nonsense!"

"That's _your_ pure unadulterated smutty nonsense." the younger girl corrected, "and Opal called with the whole, _history of you_ thing and I thought this was an impressive artefact."

"I like her eyes, I heart her abs, I love the way her shorts grab her ass." Korra grinning flicked onto the next photo, which was number two, of twelve. To Asami's surprise, Korra clutched the phone to her chest, grinning, gushing and blushing, "I will never get over your sexy poetry."

"Please stop where you are before it gets worse."

"It gets _better_? Jinora you have to send me these!" Korra lit up like a kid on Christmas. Zooming in on detail of each statement. "And frame them. This one - frame this one. The rest I will take in a bound book."

"Please I'm cringing just thinking about how bad I was. I was all sappy and drunk and in love."

"Well you're two of those things now right? Come on share this with me." Begrudgingly she took the hand Korra was offering and let her tug her into her side, "Aw she wanted to eat me out until I screamed for ice cream,"

"Oh God why do I remember that one?" Asami covered her eyes as Korra stifled her own gratuitous laughter.

"My mom says eating take out is bad for you." The girls flinched to find Rohan had wormed his way into the circle and was looking up concernedly. Korra finally found her shame and she darted her eyes around for his parents, struggling with their piles of luggage blessedly thirty feet away.

"Whats the word on ice cream?" her voice squeaked and Rohan pondered for a moment, before replying.

"No more than two toppings."

"That is a sound policy little man." Korra bent down to pick him up and balance him against her hip.

"It's cold here." He told her matter-of-factly rubbing his own cheeks.

"You should see the outside, put your mittens on." Korra rebuffed, trying to figure out how to turn off Jinora's phone. Of course Rohan locked onto it.

"Why do you have a picture of a chicken?"

"She officiated our wedding." Asami shrugged.

" _Cool_." Rohan nodded and Korra tossed his sisters' phone back to her, mouthing _thank you._

"Ah Miyuki," Korra smiled wistfully. "I sure hope your crazy owner hasn't eaten you."

"Hey!" Rohan squirmed indignantly, gesturing with his tiny hands, "Forgetting something."

"How rude of us!" Korra cried, in mock shame.

"My apologies Master Rohan." Asami added solemnly, before she and her wife bent in to blow raspberries on his cheeks.

XXXX

"Are those clouds? They look like clouds I'm calling this off."

The Water Tribe woman scoped the pristine skyline with an angry glare. The ocean beyond the dock was calm, but no one knew better than Korra how the winds could change.

Asami put her gloved hands on her wife's shoulders and squeezed from behind her. Letting her lips brush her ear as she told her,

"If you keep complaining I'm gonna make you wait inside so you can't even watch me kick ass. Now do you want that?"

"No." Korra jutted her lip in a pout.

"No what?"

"No I want to see you kick ass."

"Damn straight." Asami slung her arms around her from behind as she balanced her chin in the slope of her neck. Some part of her wanted to say everything would be okay, but she knew Korra already had the message when she hooked her fingers around the heiress' forearm and squeezed.

"Is that a pun?" A voice jarred them in their comforting embrace.

"Not now Mako." Asami warned as Korra turned her head to catch her eye.

"I will swim after you if I have to."

" _Korra_."

"That's all I'm saying." she lifted her palms defensively as her smug wife kissed her cheek before stepping back to inspect her vessel.

It was an engineless, long four person sail boat, that right now Jinora and Opal were raising for her, Tonraq sat at the back guarding the tiller with a straight back, causing the entire front to poke alarmingly high out of the water. He was faced forward, vigilantly scoping the scene with trained precision. When his daughter-in-law stepped onto the boat, he shifted his gaze, attempting to stifle the proud smile already pulling on his lips. As she turned back to the dock, she looked up to Senna, who had stepped forward from the group.

"Asami Sato." she began, "You have selected the ancient and noble challenge of Ice Dodging. You must brave the water to Whale Tail Island and back here before sunset. We will celebrate your victory and officially welcome you into our tribe on your return. Good luck sweetie-uh Asami." The elder woman corrected and rolled her eyes at her husband's smug expression.

"Hey Baby," The heiress turned to find Korra, leaning over the dock in prime position for her to turn into her lips. She felt her fingers dig into her locks, brushing warmly against the ear that was being exposed to the elements thanks to her pony tail. Asami's fingerless gloves cupped her cheeks, the knowledge that her friends were watching, and likely judging, shrinking as she drank the hearth and home taste she got while savouring Korra's kiss.

A cleared throat prompted Korra to pull back, fumbling with the betrothal necklace in her hands. Asami's breath came out in a shaky exhale as her heart dealt with the whole palpitation thing.

"I was going to put this around your neck for good luck," Korra explained, "but then you did that teeth thing I like." Asami nodded meekly, trying desperately not to forget she was on a moving floor right now. Together they clumsily fixed the latch, which Korra laughed at how ridiculous she felt fumbling around, but when it was done she wouldn't have traded the short sweet thank you Asami pressed onto her lips.

To their surprise the small crowd they had attracted started to clap, led by Bolin who alternated between applause and wiping his tears away.

"See you at Sundown." The heiress assured her as they cast off.

" _Don't be late._ " the athlete called after her when the current dragged them away.

Korra watched them float away on her knees, letting the icy wind numb her panicking mind.

The ocean was clear, and soon enough the shore of the Southern Water Tribe was ebbing away as they fell into an easy current. With Asami at the front, Opal at the base of the sail, and Jinora secured the the middle of it she directed them to make the best of the wind carrying them at an impressive speed.

"Look!" Jinora yelped and a shard of panic shot through the heiress until she saw where she was pointing, at the water. There was no ice, but rushing along side them were the blurry bodies of sleek otter-penguins sharing the slipstream. The girls shared the moment and Tonraq discreetly lifted his phone to snap a picture.

"I'm really glad you guys agreed to this!" The heiress yelled over the surf, "I can honestly say I wouldn't be here if not for all of you."

"You're our friend Asami." Jinora yelled down, grinning.

"We're happy to do it." Opal added, letting rope slack through her fingers.

"I don't just mean sailing. I don't think I'd ever have the courage to tell Korra how I felt without you guys. I mean it was unorthodox and terrifying, your methods, I think. But _thank you_." she braved a smile back at them.

"Captain! Ice Berg ahead!" Opal warned.

"The fun begins!" Tonraq cackled.

"The wind's picking up." Jinora added.

"Fantastic." Asami took a deep breath, feeling the pressure flow through her before raising an arm and directing her crew. The wonderful thing about ice dodging as that every piece of the game was moving at different speeds. In theory it was exciting and challenging. In practice Asami was sure she was going to need a new pair of pants.

"Keep it steady and turn the sail, we'll pass it on the starboard side!"

"Oh Captain, my Captain!"

"Not the time for references Opal!"

The first berg floated by without incident, but Asami didn't dare let herself breath as the minefield came into stunning view.

"Tonraq any advice?" She yelled back, feeling her throat constrict.

"Go with the flow."

"Stellar." Asami breathed to herself. She wasn't sure what possessed her, but about forty feet before the deadly plain reached the bow her head filled with the reason she was doing this.

Korra.

How she bit her lip before contemplating her perfect kiss. How when she said she loved her, her lips would curl up at the edges. How she held her, pressed against her chest in the warm dark of their bed, made her feel like she was the safest place of the world. How sweet it was to have her finally, after all these years of loving her completely. She hooked her fingers in her betrothal necklace and took comfort in stroking the stone.

These thoughts guided her hand, and she pointed at an entry point amongst the shards. Following the current became something she could feel in her toes. Trusting herself, the only advice Korra had managed to give her between, _I forbid you,_ and _I have spirits commune through me and they're telling me to stop this,_ she felt her orders come naturally. As well as the speed picking up, and the ice bergs becoming closer as the paths became narrower.

"Asami!" She swept her head back to see Jinora, reaching for a piece of sail that had wriggled free.

"Can you reach it?"

"I'm too constricted!" the stunt double hooked her leg around the mast, loosening her harness to reach the recklessly flapping tarp.

"Jinora don't!"

"I'm so close!" Without warning the water swelled, and broke the edge of the ship, spraying Jinora in such a way that is compromised her grip - and she went flying. Thankfully onto an ice shelf and not into the drink. She rolled when she landed barely a scratch on her.

"Jinora!"

"Don't move!" Tonraq ordered, "Stay completely still."

"Opal help me bank! Tonraq options!" Asami leapt back onto the mast, scoping the situation.

"We could radio for help."

"The wind's picking up that could take too long."

"And if she dived, so would the sail back to shore."

Asami twisted her hands and gloves.

"I have this idea." she mused.

"Whatever you need." Tonraq told her.

"Get me close, keep it steady." she let slack some rope, already tied around her waist and knotted more of it around the mast and her thighs. On her knees, now twenty feet away from the plain, unwinding the anchor cable from it and throwing it's rope to the intersecting pole before catching it and tying it with both the mast and her own harness.

"Okay." She shifted it back, teetering and manoeuvring Tonraq's foot beneath it. "On my mark." She told him. Before he could protest they came into range, and the heiress leapt, hooking an arm and leg around the smaller girl who instinctively held on tight.

" _Mark_!" and like that Tonraq dropped the anchor, and the resulting force yanked the girls off the ice and onto the boat. They came curving to to halt and the whole thing bounced off of the side of a plain and bobbed to a stop.

"Oh god that was so scary." Opal breathed.

"Not a word of this to Korra." Asami urged, finding her sea legs and standing on the still ship.

"Aye aye cap'n," Jinora wheezed. "If we survive."

"Reattach the sail!" Asami ordered grinning, "Tonraq haul anchor! - uh Sir…please." The older man puffed out his cheeks and released the breath he'd been holding as he clung for the tiller for dear life.

Jinora gingerly clambered back to her post and triple checked her rope before they set up.

"You okay up there Jinora?"

"My pants are wet."

"Are you warm enough?"

"Oh it's plenty warm." the younger girl breathed.

Anything after that seemed like plain sailing. The whole situation put her every nerve on a razors edge, and Asami found a groove wherein she had to predict every inch of the world around her.

"When we get to Whale Tail Island - You've got to jump Asami."

"What?"

"You'll know the spot when you see it."

The island was hardly bigger than truck, sitting above the water, from their position it was nothing more than a dome smoothed by the elements and time. Tonraq banked them with the tiller, and amazingly the water began to still and they slowed to a stop.

On the other side was a pure and ancient work of art, as secret as it was humbling. Asami felt blessed to even be invited here, and it's sheer impossible magnetism led her to jump gracefully on the ledge. Turning back she saw Tonraq holding a bone carved bowl, the red paste inside matching the hundreds of hand prints on the rock beside her.

"Which one is Korra's?" she asked gingerly dipping her hand.

"Guess." Tonraq replied with a smirk.

Asami turned to inspect, some collations were in family groups, some on their own, some simply in couples.

Second row from the top was a huge hand, Tonraq's, and beside it, pinky's crossing, Senna's. Above this was a hand with partial paint missing, a perfect 'K' carved out of the colour. Suddenly Asami understood why most of Korra's keys were dyed permanently red.

An idea struck her, brilliant as she usually was, and she fed out her own keys. She didn't have an 'A' but a silver Future Industries half cog logo would have to do. It didn't take as much climbing as Korra had to do, but Asami planted her palm so their pinky's were crossing and her hand print painting around her keyring. She left her mark.

Before this moment knowing what Korra felt the moment she accomplished this was something she could only guess at. She felt pride in a task well earned, and something else, in an odd way she felt acceptance to something only a handful of people on this world had achieved. She was a part of this family, and even then she was sharing it with her wife. Opal and Jinora hooted and clapped, Asami blushed as she traced Korra's hand print before hopping down.

"You're half way there." Tonraq congratulated as she stepped onto the boat. She was buffeted by hugs.

"Okay land lubbers sunset is fast approaching!" the heiress announced charging her fist.

"Don't talk like a pirate." Opal mused.

"Yeah okay." Asami agreed.

XXXX

If Korra wanted to maintain the illusion that she hadn't moved from the spot she sat in when Asami left, she didn't have to, because that is exactly what she did. Something about that day made every scar on her body tingle, not because of humidity, or even her own sense of lingering pain, just dread. Sheer unrelenting panic attack inducing dread. Her mother had draped a blanket around her shoulders as she watched the waves.

Naga groaned and repositioned her muzzle on her lap. Meanwhile Bolin sat cross legged, flipping through his cards before asking.

"Got any fives?"

"Go fish." she mumbled without looking.

"She's gonna be fine you know."

"No offence Bolin, but I don't put much stock in your girlfriend's sailing skills."

"Oh God neither do I. Asami's amazing at teaching people stuff. Mako to fight. Me to tie my shoes, Opal's got it made. Also Jinora but you know she's like smart smart anyway. Like she's gonna screw up am-I-right?"

Korra smiled a little and nodded at the compliment, unable to do more than that, as her stomach clenched and twisted.

"The sun is setting Bo." she told him, hating the beautiful luscious colours painting the twilighting sky.

"What happens if she comes after?"

"She has to do it again, in another year, with another Blood moon."

"Wow that's crazy."

"That is my stupid tradition. My stupid heritage which is going to get my wife killed."

The crowd was reassembling at the Sunset, and Korra took it upon herself to stand finally and scan it. Maybe Asami had already arrived and was waiting to jump out and surprise her. Her mother emerged and took her arm.

"Is that a killer whale fin?" Bolin asked, shielding his eyes to get a better look.

"Its them!" Korra announced, a sigh of relief washed over the crowd, "Oh shit." she added.

"What?"

"They're coming in too fast!" Korra dropped the blanket from her arms and scoured the dock for anything spare. "Today of all days this place _isn't_ full of free crap!"

"Drop the anchor!" Senna yelled.

"No the sails! Open the sails against the wind!" Korra yelled too, sure enough everyone on the dock were yelling orders. Even Mako who had never set foot on a boat himself. Instead the boat did neither it swerved to come to a near skidding halt. Except it kept going and Asami leapt off the boat onto the deck. She dove into a roll which let her come up to stand in front of Korra, who grabbed her by her sleeves with the paint stained hand.

Korra didn't wait, she hooked her fingers behind her neck and crashed her lips against hers in a bruising kiss. The whole ordeal left the heiress completely lightheaded, retrospectively that was probably because of all the spinning. Her grip only tightened when Korra let her go. She blinked her eyes twice and found her land legs before releasing the breath she'd been holding since she set sail.

"Did I do it?" she asked,

"You made it." Korra urged, tugging her tighter into her embrace. "Don't ever go Ice Dodging again. I forbid you."

"I'm totally okay with that." Asami chuckled into her neck clinging tighter and swaying.

"We're okay, thanks for asking." Jinora interjected helping Tonraq tie off. Asami turned to look for Opal's contribution, only she was sucking face with her boyfriend. She started to laugh only Tonraq stepped into her entire point of view.

"How did she do?"

"I need to confirm something with the elders,"

"What?" Korra deadpanned.

"Is that bad?" Asami asked. "What's he going to confirm?"

"Wow I really should have told you this." Korra watched as her father communed with a circle of tiny elders. "The tasks determine your mark. I'm _The Brave._ Mom is _The Trusted._ I guess yours isn't clear cut."

"What does that mean do I have to do something else?"

"I don't know."

"Asami." Tonraq's voice took on his chiefly tone, and from the way the crowd parted from him on the dock, they knew this was an important part. "From the day I suggested this to Korra, I always thought the mark you'd earn would reflect what I had seen from you these past few years. Not only to your friends, and family and your wife, you've proven to be a loyal, caring and wise woman. But today I saw a side of you I had no idea could even possess the same person." Asami felt her wife's hands grip tighter, more protectively on her elbows, "Today you showed me you are quick thinking and incredibly brave, leaping onto that ice berg to save your crewmate Jinora with hardly a second thought for yourself."

" _What_?!" Korra and Kai yelped in unison.

"Let's not talk about that." Asami shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"Because of that I would award the name Asami the Trusted, _and_ the Brave," Tonraq took his Korra's hand and dipped her fingers in the paint of the bone bowl, "and the only person worthy of my daughter's hand."

Asami bit her lip and braved her look to her wife's face, expecting fury that she had been reckless and stupid on something she had spent the week fretting about, but the way her eyes glittered with tears melted all those fears away.

Gently Korra raised her hand, and with her thumb she traced an arch over her forehead, Asami watched the way her adorable half grin tugged involuntarily at her lips, and beneath that with her forefinger; she painted a crescent moon. When she was done Asami took her chin with her clean forefinger and thumb and kissed her.

The rush of wind, waves, adrenaline and cheering could never equate to the perfection of Korra's lips. The carmaker's heart was thrumming at a fever pitch, rebounding between her ribs at such a rate she could feel her body trembling as everything that had happened in the last two months came crashing though her. Korra's strong hand found the curve of her spine and pressed her tight against her, shielding her from the winter winds with her own careful embrace.

When Korra pulled back, breathless from the sheet brilliance of tasting heaven. She meant to tell her everything she meant to her, not just exceeding the tribe's and her families expectation but surpassing anything she knew love could be. Finding her numb lips finally, she found her voice and told her.

"Holy fuck you're perfect."


	15. Chapter 15

As the evening moon rose high, and the celestial glow the aurora borealis skated past their cab window, Asami squeezed her wife's hand and said,

"Well this is a new level of disturbing."

Their cars travelled at a glacial pace, thanks to icy roads and the extraordinary nature of the celebration, to the small township this had become something of a parade.

Korra snickered as she followed her gaze through thankfully tinted windows. A month ago they had been protesters, scores of angry people who had deemed the pair as nothing more than smut peddlers. Today their fans lined the road in front of the Southern Water Tribe's Palace Hotel.

Her mirth was short lived however, when she remembered one important detail.

"Oh God my Mom can see this can't she?"

"I'm sure they'll believe there are this many soccer fans." Asami shrugged, a grin teasing her lips as Korra pouted next to her.

Her phone buzzed, and only worsened her embarrassed blushing.

" _Oh God."_ She covered her face and moaned through her hands.

"What?" Asami laughed, reaching for the device that Korra pulled away.

"She wants to know about your _foot_ _fetish_ ," Korra pointed to a gaggle of girls wearing matching T-shirts, bearing the Sato logo, and a foot, with toes spread and stars all around.

"That's _involuntary!"_ The heiress shrieked so loud that both driver and co passenger flinched, Korra couldn't help the way Asami's expression made her break out with new unencumbered laughter. " _Korra."_ the carmaker moaned covering her own face, before reminding herself she was still in ceremonial make up, and Senna had worked so hard on the wings of her now dark eyes, painted red lips and pale cheeks.

The athlete put her own arm around her tugging her so her temple could rest on her collar to comfort her. Until Asami caught her muttering under her breath.

"What are you saying?"

"Counting-four-three-seven, seven stars."

"That is not appropriate!"

"Honestly? I admire the effort they put into commemorating the orgasms of the first time we made love…with stars…on a foot fetish numb toe t-shirt…that appears to be mass produced."

" _Stop it."_

 _"_ It's not like they think they're in for another live show."

"There is a stranger driving us right now!" Asami reminded.

"It's a small town Asami, the video had pictures in the local paper."

"Wow there is now way we can tell our grandkids the truth about how we got together,"

"Yeah I still can't get over the fact you gave me a lap dance before our first date."

"We sound so…so _seedy_!"

"I believe _straight up whore-y_ was the term used by Fox's correspondent." Korra nudged her with her arm stifling her shit-eating grin. To which Asami groaned at and covered her face with her hands before remembering her make up.

Biting back her laughter Korra took the carmaker's hand and added,

"Those people out there, aren't here because they think we're _ahem_ porn stars. What happened was an accident. A weird specific _accidental_ filming of the first time we connected, _and they can see that._ It was a genuine moment of human happiness that wasn't scripted or _for_ anything… and accidentally it was shared, uploaded and spread across the internet in an alarmingly short amount of time, and will inevitably last forever in the cloud. _But_ It was raw." Korra shrugged, smile becoming less smug and more sweet, blush dusting her dark cheeks, "it was _us,_ making our dream come true _._ "

"You sound like Opal."

"I hate to say this, and I'll deny it if you tell, but sometimes - _Opal is right._ " On the last word Korra winced, while her lips curled into a smile. Somehow the statement was punctuated by their hands intertwined, another dream of theirs that had come true, thanks to their mad, unorthodox stunt double for a friend. Sometimes her career choice was just too perfect.

"Did I mention how amazing you look right now?" Korra added.

"You could stand to mention it more." Asami mused, not usually one for taking compliments on her looks kindly, unless it was from Korra. From her wife she'd heard it countless times, often without asking, followed by a darkening of cheeks and that famous smile that had been cherished the world over, but precious to her alone all the same.

"Let's see," Korra touched her chin feigning concentration, "outside we have the moon, the aurora borealis, one of the natural wonders of this entire planet, and of course home of the spirits, who protect and guide us from above forevermore. So you know how important these are to me, you should know I was raised in awe of them. The moon is our guide and the aurora our souls going back since the dawn of our society…but I would forsake them all if I could spend the rest of my eternity with you."

"I thought you were complimenting my looks?"

"Yeah but your everything is so much better."

"You're so _cheesy_!"

In response Korra lunged into her space and set her fingers to the most ticklish spots on the heiress' body who writhed and squealed with laughter.

"I see the way you, _Asami Sato_ ,scarf down cheese - _that_ is the best compliment you could give me!" Asami took her wrists and pinned them finally on the seat with a precise swift leg hold. "Hey no Krav Maga - I was being cute!" Korra pouted to prove her point and Asami smiled down at her through her perfect tribal make up mask. Korra marvelled at the blue painted shapes over her eyelids, the wave tendrils on her cheeks, the strip that fell from her lips to her chin. Her mother had modelled it off the painted lady spirit of olde and it was immaculate on Asami. The athlete felt a spec of guilt at wanting to completely ruin it.

"I'd kiss you right now if your mom wouldn't kill me." the heiress smiled, settling her hips comfortably between Korra's legs. While Asami had been primped and polished to join the tribe her ceremonial avatar, her bridge between worlds that would guide her, stole the show.

Her arms were covered in split sleeves that teased her dark skin and delicious shoulders. Pale purple cut against white and light blue, her tunic hugged her middle and chest generously, the collar accentuated her jaw while the loose flowing skirt allowed Korra to bring her knees up around her.

"Just one lil kiss?" Korra offered, eyes glittering in that mischievous way of hers. The heiress fed her hands into her locks, barely missing tugging out her bun as she craned her neck to brush her lips.

She failed to notice the line of cars they were in had finally stopped, and failed to notice their entourage were leaving their vehicles, and waiting for them. So just as the heiress touched her lips with the balm of her own, Opal smacked the window.

"Oh _Kor-ra_ \- stop using Asami's thighs as ear muffs and get out here!"

"I take it back she is wrong. In every way she's just so wrong." Korra grumbled as her wife pulled back. Triple checking her dress and makeup in a compact before stashing it and finding Korra's hand with her own and opening the door.

She winced as camera's flashed, pondering how she had once desensitised herself to them, it was like being with Korra made her feel normal again. As she stood beside her, her fingers curled around her bicep, Korra clasped her hand assuringly, braving a smile and leaning into her ear.

"Walk of pride right?" She whispered reaching into her shawl and letting a rainbow flag peek out, before tucking it back in for safe keeping.

"Unbelievable," Asami breathed, feeling her heart swell with it, and lips curling as she fought with her outright grin. Korra kissed below her ear and pulled back.

"Say hi to our fans." the athlete added.

"Ugh," the heiress breathed, raising her gaze, suddenly glad of her mask. Their guests were filtering into the hotel, ushered by her friends, Opal, Bolin, even Mako were all helping guide the guests.

"Asami! Korra!" a particularly shrill voice in the crowd were yelling and Asami caught the gaze and flapping arms of a girl in her early twenties, "Asami! Over here!"

Korra nudged her towards her, or rather the paper and pen in her hands. The heiress caught it and the pen, attempting to remember how to even give an autograph.

"You've taken something!" The girl blurted suddenly, specs slipping and cheeks flushing as Asami whipped her head up to defend herself to whoever heinous thing she had been accused of next. But first she had to ask.

"What?"

" _My breath away."_ the stranger answered wistfully.

"Oh!"

Korra broke out into laughter and covered her grin with her free hand.

"I should be mad," she cackled, "but that is fantastic!" shaking her head and feeling her knees go weak with it. "Wait!" Korra took out her SatoPhone, unlocked the screen with her favourite photo of their day at the races, and took a selfie with the genius.

"Um… _thank you_?" Finally Asami found her smile, and sidled gladly down the line. Each new person confirmed Korra's theory, they were here for pride, they were here for love. There were of course a couple who had expressed their approval in more creative ways.

"Hey look Korra - _fan art!_ "

"We have a problem!" Opal interrupted, poking her head between the newlyweds to warn them.

"Can everybody fit?" the heiress asked, she knew Korra's family was big, and accounting for their plus ones had been nearly impossible.

"It's slightly worse than that."

"Well is everybody here?" Asami added, not sure which was worse, sharing a worried look with her wife.

"We have a gate crasher."

Asami blanched, gesturing at the small crowd they had gathered.

"No I mean a _specific one_ , Meelo and Ikki's detaining him."

" _Who?"_

"Iroh!"

 _"Oh shit."_

"I thought you said he broke it off." for the first time in weeks, Korra's voice lost its smug classic cool, in favour of one that was weak and squeaky.

"And I agreed whole heartedly." Asami seethed.

"I don't believe this." Korra breathed, letting her friend guide her, clasping her wife's hand as they marched into the Hotel.

"He thinks the conference room is the party. He's been socialising with a lamp for the better part of an hour."

His shrill tone could be heard now, filtering through the walls, and at this noise Asami's anger careened her ahead of the pack.

" _It's just so illogical!_ Like whats the point of living - if you don't have a dick?"

"Fascinating," Meelo mumbled lying on the table.

"You're such a wonderful tool." Ikki mused admiring her nail bits, the usually chatty teenager had grown bored with this drunk child.

"I wanna see her."

"Hmm? Sure soon." Meelo assured tapping on his phone game.

"Never." Ikki told him.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Never!" Ikki chagrinned.

"Totally." Meelo mumbled nonchalantly, shooting tiny pixel zombies.

"You wanna be careful you know!" Iroh threatened, "I could ruin your career just like _that_." he tried to snap his fingers at Ikki.

"Ugh! Go ahead. I'm a _Barista_."

"Iroh!" Asami snapped, "Shall we not threaten the minors."

"Baby-"

" _Fuck_. Up." Korra flinched as her wife cursed at him.

"I was going to get you back. I know I was way out of line. I didn't mean what I said about you're bubble. It's you and its cute - I mean its all bridge under the water - I was drunk, _you were drunk."_

"Okay _first -_ I wasn't drunk."

"Guys I think we should give them some space." Opal beckoned to their younger friends.

As they left, the Sato's and Iroh waited. Until Asami stroked her wife's arm and added.

"You too." she told Korra. The flash of hurt that crossed her face hurt worse than anything she could think of before she stepped close. "I know him. He won't believe me if you're standing here."

Korra swallowed a lump and felt her warmth seep out of her aura, but she nodded, telling her albeit weakly,

"I trust you." Asami cupped her cheeks and kissed her passionately before she could turn to leave, aware, and not caring that she smudged her lips over her wife's.

"It's always been you." she told her, quietly, a near silent gift.

"Fu-uck!" Iroh groaned as they parted, grazing their hands as their fingers parted reluctantly at the tips. Asami half expected her to flip him off or tell him to suck something, but her lips found a reassuring smile, and she left the room without another word.

"Now." Asami turned on him like an insolent business client. Which in many ways their relationship had been.

"You're not seriously saying that _this_ charade isn't you getting in over your head?" Iroh drawled.

"You are not seriously calling the best thing _to ever happen to me in my life_ a charade." Asami snapped back. "And are you forgetting the farce that was our relationship?"

"C'mon. The party where we met was romantic."

"The _conference,_ where your _grandfather_ introduced me to you and more of less pushed you through the merger. We were never serious."

"Yeah you said you never could be! You could never fall in love!"

"With you." Asami told him calmly, "I know that whenever you feel like you're stomaching business bullshit you get all out drunk. So, this isn't you even remotely trying. _I'm sorry I couldn't make your grand daddy proud of you."_

 _"Then why even bother with me?"_

 _"_ I was biding time, dealing with my father's mistakes and wishing I was with her. Knowing-thinking that she could never feel the same way."

"Bullshit you said your heart was missing."

" _Because she had it._ She has had it for such a long time, Iroh. Before you."

"And you go and you get married to this _woman_ after one night of taco Tuesday?" he chuckled leaning back to swig from a flask, which she promptly smacked out of his hand.

"One kiss." she corrected, standing splaying her fingers before pointing, "Five words ' _We should get married tonight'_ One night was all it took to make me realise everything I have ever done was a stepping stone to be with her." 

"That simple huh?"

"It surprised me actually. How easy everything in my life became after that kiss. I've been kicking myself for ever avoiding _spin the bottle!_ "

"You can't tell me we didn't mean anything…six months?" Iroh enquired.

"Ten years." Asami countered, touching her necklace, "You never stood a chance…I've started the rest of my life Iroh, I suggest you find yours elsewhere… Go home."

She left him alone in the room. Finding Korra pressing her index fingers and thumbs together in a habitual nervous pattern.

"Are you okay?" She blurted. Trying to seem as nonchalant as possible.

"You're telling me you didn't hear that?" Asami asked feeling the distance that was now suddenly between them.

"These doors are surprisingly heavy." she admitted. Asami covered her twitching hands with her palm. "I heard _charade_ and then…door. I have to admit I am _curious._ "

"He was something," Asami started, her voice shaky, "to distract from how strongly I felt about you. He was an asshole and he didn't pay attention and I chose him for that purpose. When I thought this could never be real." she fought tears in her eyes and her lips trembling as she admitted, "I was so scared of you."

"Asami you don't-"

" _No,_ you have to hear this." she cupped her jaw, with her hands on her face, Korra held onto her wrists. Her breaths came through sharp, intense, trying her best not to succumb to her tears. "I was so stupidly in love with you. Objectively if you had told me in five years time I would drug you in Vegas to get you to just kiss me finally I wouldn't consider it too crazy. I knew kissing you would have fireworks, and they could burn in comparison to the _nothing_ I've been feeling with the rest of my life. No one ever makes me feel like you do. Alive. Safe. In lo-" Korra's hand moved, hooking behind her neck and closing the distance between their mouths.

"You don't think I was scared too?" she breathed between kisses, "You don't think wasn't desperate? I remembered thinking you were so calm." By this point they had recovered the nervous, fumbling first time they had ever had sex, within their own memories. They could revisit, recite, reenact any moment from the way Korra tore at Asami's shirt, or how the heiress fumbled so much with the athlete's bra they had to stop to laugh.

"Are you kidding? I couldn't get out more than one word answers."

"I talked too much. We were such disasters."

" _They're freckles on your boobs,"_ Asami quoted against her lips, grinning.

" _Ch-Yeah._ " Korra mumbled back, wrapping her arms firmly behind her back, tugging her flush against her.

The heiress let her lips teased her ear now delivering perhaps her favourite Korra quote of the night.

" _I want your fingers inside me all day long._ "

"How would you get to work?" They sprang apart to see Opal smirking at them with a flute of champagne in her hand. "Your audience awaits. Ladies."

"What about Iroh?" Korra asked.

"I'll have someone deal with the moose." Opal grinned, "By the way you have a little something," she gestured around her mouth like showing a child they had face planted into ice cream.

"Christ Senna's gonna _kill_ me." she wiped the paint off of Korra's mouth.

"No no, don't panic here." Korra fed her hand into her dress and produced a make up kit she'd kept for the occasion, "What?" she asked at Asami's surprised expression, retracing the curve of her wife's lips with red as she smirked and explained. "I knew you wouldn't be able to control yourself."

"Did I mention how perfect you are for me?" Asami murmured.

"You could stand to mention it more." Korra smiled, finishing with a flourish one colour and adding the dabs of accenting colour to her lower lip and chin. "Asami the Trusted, _and_ the Brave." She tucked her kit back into her dress, and gestured to the hall that held their family and friends. "Shall we?"

Asami took her arm and Korra took the lead. The light of the public hotel gave way to the twinkling ambience of their ceremony. Asami took in the room she was seeing for the first time, the photos, the lights, the projection screen with a slide show of their years together. The crowd began to applaud, Tonraq, Senna, Bolin, Wu, Mako, even the brother's grandparents and cousins had made it. Tenzin, Ikki, Meelo, the Temple. Korra had even invited Kajri and Hamu. But they walked past them all, and came to a clearing in the hall, beneath the twinkling chandelier that, beneath the sky light, refracted the aurora around the room.

"What's going on?"

"By midnight tonight, you'll drink from the spirit oasis and be apart of this." Korra turned back to her, slipping her arms around her back, and feeling her breath catch, "It's half eleven." she explained raising her their hands proudly between their faces. "I feel like we forgot something important."

Jinora's voice filtered through the once dormant sound system.

"Ladies and Gentlemen for the first time _Mrs, and Mrs Sato._ "


	16. Chapter 16

_One night to be confused_

 _One night to speed up truth_

 _We had a promise made_

 _Four hands and then away_

The song floated through the room, warm and gentle. So perfect it was almost incapacitating, the heiress had to be coaxed into moving. Korra's strong left hand at her hip and right guiding one of hers.

"We were in such a rush when we left the wedding we didn't get to do this," Korra explained, feeling heat rising up her neck, suddenly feeling every eye on her in the room. The circle of their friends and family loomed, and made her stammer, "I-I just wanted to make sure we didn't miss out - but don't think our wedding wasn't-" Asami bowed her head quickly to peck her cheek.

"Perfect." she assured. Korra's smile tugged at her lips as they turned lost in each other. Foreheads touching, as Asami brought both hands behind her neck, and Korra's at her waist.

 _One night of magic rush_

 _The start - a simple touch_

 _One night to push and scream_

 _And then relief_

For a second Korra panicked, thinking that the acoustic track was skipping or damaged, until she realised the deft tinkling building in the air came from their friends, tapping glasses with cutlery and keys. She refrained herself from flinching and taking her eyes off her wife.

"What d'you suppose they want?" she asked.

"Could be anything." the heiress shrugged, brushing her thumbs across her jaw.

"World peace?" Korra offered.

"A backflip?" hands tightened on her hips and the carmaker found herself placed strategically into the athlete's space. So close she could smell the ocean that had mingled with her skin while she waited on the dock, and trace her eyes over the galaxy of freckles barely detectable over the bridge of her nose. Pearly white teeth bit gently on her lower lip as Korra imagined Asami somersaulting.

The collection of small miracles the carmaker had performed in her life could never compare to this, the way Korra looked at her, sea blue eyes charting her lips like precious monuments. It surprised her how still she could feel her heartbeat, white hot, ricocheting off her vital organs jolting as Korra's gaze hit her lips, and fingertips scraped her waist. Suddenly she remembered their first day together, the alter, the firsts, bending down to write her name, putting all her love into each loop and letter. Standing with her now left her speechless, having never dared dream her life could ever become this perfect, trying not to let her pure joy show on her face.

For a blip within a second, Korra remembered something from her unfortunately long stint reading self-help books. Only one passage ever resonated with her, years later. Simple _how to's_ of impossible things, if she wanted to feel time, she could write, even if she never shared it. If she wanted to travel in time she could read, even if it felt like she could only make the hours fly faster. When she wanted to escape, she would listen to music, and of course whenever she heard this song she's thought of Asami humming it while she worked. Stopping time however, that was always her favourite, and there was only one way to do it.

"This?" Korra finally offered, leaning up and pressing her lips against the warm silk of her wife's. Chaste, tasteful, they stopped turning, savouring in sync as the clinking became applause. But of course all the noise fell away.

"Alright we've indulged your little PDA fetish sit down so we can show you your lives." Opal's voice filtered through the speakers and the cheer, which was followed by a cavalcade of laughs. It was then Korra understood the meaning of the word bashful. Heat rising to her face she pulled back and took in their adoring audience. The song had long ended, but Asami still had a hold of her jaw.

Korra led her to a table up the front. People took their seats around tables and faced them. Behind the couple hung the canvas Asami had dragged around Vegas wherever they went from the chapel. The large, candescent wedding photo that neither of them had seen until that last day of packing…

 _"I don't want to leave." Korra had said, feeling Asami's long arms hold her from behind. Her chin balanced on the shorter woman's. One hand on the heiress', and the other balancing the last un-packable item on the hotel bed._

 _"We're taking the best of this place with us." Asami assured, "I for one have a pretty amazing souvenir."_

 _Korra grinned as lips touched her cheek, and neck and shoulder, before taking the corner of parchment that had started to peel and tearing it down._

Asami looked up at the portrait now, the pair of them in front of a Vegas backdrop plastered behind them and retrospectively she wondered what variety of drug she had been slipped that allow her mouth to smile that big. Korra's mirrored hers, but of course she thought that was adorable, arm behind her back, and her own holding Miyuki steady. The pair beamed in a moment of pure joy. She wormed her fingers through Korra's over her thigh.

" _Hey!_ " Opal's voice cut through her languor, piercing in surround sound, "Car-and-Technology-magnate! Pay attention this next part concerns you."

Turning, blushing behind her mask of make up, Asami faced her crowd and the screen now shifting behind Opal.

"A week into their marriage. Korra and Asami Sato drank a bottle of whiskey, two bottles of wine, and half a bottle of vodka, and in front of a camera, Bolin, me, their ex, their dog, and for some reason Wu."

A small but clear " _Hey_!" filtered from the crowd,

"They told us the story of how they fell in love, and _finally_ admitted it to each other." Opal finished, stepping down to take her seat.

The screen showed showed the newlyweds sitting on side by side armchairs. Asami was more upright than Korra, while the athlete had taken to pretending to be more sober than she was - relying heavily on the back rest to stay upright. Bright blue eyes looking through the camera she smiled big and began…

 _"I'm Korra."_

 _"And I'm Salami."_

 _"Welcome to our wedding."_

 _"This isn't our wedding." Asami reminded._

 _"S'not our wedding!" Korra laughed. Cupping her rosy cheeks and fighting her grin. "We're gonna tell you a story. The story of how me and Korra- Asami met Korra. Me…" She snorted. "Without further adoOo…"_

 _The pair announced, Korra waving her arms sporadically and Asami raising her glass._

 _"Welcome to Korra and Asami's Drunk History!"_

 _A white furl-ball that was Naga torpedoed into Korra's open arms and sent her chair careening back._

 _"Chapter one." Asami began, casually sipping her drink._

 _"High school bitches!." Korra's legs kicked up from the chair, flexing her toes wide and wiggling them - reaffirming her presence._

 _The clip cut away just as Asami lost her cool and started cackling._

 _Planes, trains, auto mobiles, a bored looking water tribe girl, sort of like Korra, but of course not, is tipped out of a cab in front of her childhood home._

"Who cast this?" Korra said to a grinning Opal, marvelling in her cinematic creation.

"I have connections, she's a stunt double she was in _Avatar_."

"The shit one or the blue one?"

"Shh!" Asami hushed.

Korra's voice, slurring and jolly, filled the room.

 _"So I get off the plane in LA. Middle of the year and I get to our new house and all my stuff is there its unpacked…" the actress roams through Korra's teenage home, greeted by another who looks stunningly like Senna "so I go to my mom - what now Senna Of The Southern Water Tribe - what do I do now? And she's all go to school so I'm like fuck why did I ask? So I got there and I was just dumbstruck…"_

 _Cutting back to the arm chairs, Korra had wormed her way into Asami's lap and chair, and had buried her face in her dark locks at the heiress' throat._

 _"Those first couple of weeks, we were so infatuated," Asami reminisced in a wistful tone, stroking Korra's hair who gladly snuggled closer, "like it was almost like we were brainwashed in some sick lovey dovey cult where we were madly, insanely in love…"_

 _Korra pulled her face out of heiress hair to turn to the camera and add._

 _"With Mako."_

 _Actress Korra stood in high school halls, the world around her slowed as her lips fell open and eyes went wide as saucers._

 _Sweeping around we can see what she does. Mako - played in this production by a plank of wood with paper eyebrows and a scarf. He looked at her with conviction, swagger, and no eyes and said, with real Korra, mocking his voice._

 _"Hey baby I'm your hall monitor guy."_

 _"..And I was just hooked."_

Asami braved a look at Mako, arms folded, mocking the voice under his breath with a disgruntled expression and necking his champagne, before being nudged and set upon by his cackling brother. He twisted and gripped his shoulders before manoeuvring the big lug into a playful noogie.

 _"He was just this guy you know, who captured us with his sweet nice, stoic, moody angsty attitude he was just so attractive you know like even his personality…and his scarf."_

 _Wind swept and captured the shark paper brows and scarf into the air and dusted glitter. Meanwhile actress Korra looked up at him with glittering eyes and a stupid hopeful look._

 _"So he was all hey baby, i'm gonna show you these halls cause I'm such a good jock guy and then I'll be a cop and just so people can see how good I am…"_

 _"Hey Mako!" Mako, behind the camera piped in, mocking Korra's voice in a higher pitch of his own,(to which the actress was also all too happy to lip sync to) "let me oh so subtly tell you how ripped you are and invite myself to your totally righteous party ooh hoo hoo ooh."_

 _Opal, directing, also behind the camera, yelled at him in her best threatening New York accent._

 _"Can it May-ko! We're makin' movie magic here!"_

 _Meanwhile the newly weds sat their stunned, picking at their drinks while the altercation took place behind camera until they both took sips in unison, and spoke together,_

 _"So anyway…"_

 _"I went out for athletics that day with May-ko and I met Bolin who was cool. I was introduced to the track guys, Zolt and Shin, and their weight lifter guy, The Boulder … I think his real name was Sheldon! HA… anyway they insisted I attend the boy's totally righteous party. They were so enthusiastic that Mako had to tell them to put their dicks away and back off._ What a guy. _"_

 _"Fast forward to Pre-Party. I was with Bolin at their house," Asami began, setting the scene where, an actress with the same, dark, hair pale skin and shade of lipstick was sat in front of a glamour mirror "Mako, like I was his girlfriend, and he was being a pedantic party nerd - like cups we need more plastic cups so I was just like pshaw." The actress then lipsynced to_

 _"While he's freaking out. I'll just make myself look redonkalous!"_

 _"Bolin was too and I was like-"_

 _"Hey Bolin how do I look?" Bolin indicated with a thumbs up entering the frame "and he was like you look spectacular, and I was like hows my hair and he was like bootylicious and I was like how are my earrings and he was like" Bolin's hands started touching her cheeks and patting blindly on her hair as Asami added in a deeper tone, "this is the best -face I've ever seen you and you might not be prettier than you are right… tonight… and then I realise that Bolin is super drunk like drunker than I am now."_

 _The camera looks up at him and his tie is tied around his forehead._

 _Enter Actress Korra into a banging party._

 _"So the party is in full swing when I arrive. Naturally. And that's when I saw her you know."_

 _Korra, in Asami's arms, in her arm chair, was actually lifting a photo of the party. Coincidentally taken in the moment she came in, and Asami happened to be standing there at the edge of the frame. The flash went off the moment their eyes met, and Asami had gone through ancient Facebook records to retrieve it years ago._

 _"If you look zoom in on the moment we both look at each other here see? And I'm seeing this tall pretty, elegant, tall goddess. Like she had heels on and her butt was just - wow. For a high school chick… in a non pervy… way."_

 _"Your hand is on my ass right now."_

 _"We're married!"_

 _"…And Korra had this tank top on and even then like mid to end puberty she had these abs and body that was just ugh! Unfair. This was the first moment we looked at each other as human beings and thought hey - who is this bitch?"_

 _"Unfair? You know what was unfair? Walking in and seeing him with you on his arm I nearly wanted to cry! I remember thinking…" Korra almost sobbed then, prompting Asami out of her stupor, ready to comfort her by any means, before Korra yelled, "…Your jaw has more structure than my entire life!"_

 _Asami shoved her wife as she hooted with glee, having watched her pale cheeks flare up before her smug grin teased her lips once again._

 _"And I know what you're thinking viewer-not-wedding guest," Korra continued, "this was the moment where the music stopped and we looked at each other and knew we were perfect, nobody else would compare, and we fell madly, irrevocably in love."_

 _"No." Asami finished her drink._

 _"Yeah no immediately I was like I was like - you got my man I just met! And *hic* I'm gonna fight for your -I'm gonna show this rich girl my knuckle sandwich and say here baby, you wanna bite?"_

 _"Thats actually what she said she wanted me to eat her lunch."_

 _"I didn't!"_

 _"I know sweetie."_

 _"She's lying I didn't eat any lunch that day thats why I'm so drunk right now!"_

 _"Korra actually was saying hi to Mako when I came over and put my arm over - around my boyfriend and Mr Captain Awkward here kind of introduced us."_

 _"He was all Asami this is the new kid - Korra this is ma boo. And Asami was all - nice to meet you, like hair flippy and devious-like." Cutting back to Korra, she had slithered around her own seat trying to get comfortable and had her head dangling off the back off the arm and was talking to the wall._

 _"I was not devious! I just said he never mentioned you - here's the thing-" Asami found herself losing her train of thought when Korra stretched and placed her ankle on the top of her head._

 _"It wasn't long until I kew that Mako and me were a lost cause. Sato here had her claws, and tongue," Asami in her chair stuck it out in contempt at the memory, squeezing subtly on Korra's calf now on her lap as Korra finished, "in him so I… entertained myself. With the only other friends I had."_

 _Bolin, Zolt, Shin, Boulder and Actress Korra brandished a rainbow of shots and necked them, and then another and another. Pour up. Drank. Head shot. Drank. Sit down. Drank._

 _"Sooner or later, whichever comes first. Bolin and I end up with the athletics team in the yard and I'm all I've had enough! Ima get some co-cola, and Bolin's all obv cutie! B-Zoulder, thats Zolt, Shin and Boulder, is all oooh! Cause Bolin had a crush on me and I suck at gaydar. Straight dar. Whatever straight people use to test whether or not people like…them." Korra face palmed herself as her wife affectionately scratched her leg._

 _"Alright baby don't hurt yourself."_

 _"Meanwhile, B-zoulder conviced Bo-Bo here that a drinking game could get him to win me over."_

 _"OK how many of your friends haven't tried to date you?" Wu asked behind camera._

 _"Like two." Asami snickered, and Korra gaped at her while she shrugged, "You friend-zone a lot of people."_

 _"Ugh, anyway, I came back to Bolin downing a bottle of vodka to himself while the guys chanted. Not three seconds later he pukes all over the guys. Projectile it was…," Korra pursed her lips and tapped her chin contemplating the perfect description. "it was beautiful."_

A vomiting noise began, however it wasn't shown, instead the screen showed a motivational poster of a cat holding onto a branch captioned " _Technical Difficulties, hang in there."_

 _"It was incredible - what happened next -" Actress Korra emerged from the back door, carrying Bolin bridal style with the wind blowing out her hair while he drooled a long line of mucus. "Korra carried Bolin to Mako and me -_ _was all this guy needs a blambulance and then she was all giggly, but the way Mako was looking at her it was clear, dude was impressed."_

 _"Chapter two - L'hospital fallout."_

 _"I felt bad for letting him get in that state so I stayed with him to the hospital while Asami took care of the party." Actress Korra and the plank of wood got in the back of the ambulance and drove off. It then showed Actress Korra getting coffee for him. "I stayed with Mako the rest of the night while Bolin had his stomach pumped. I kept him distracted and through this small night of misery actually became great friends." Mako plank of wood, morphed in a wash of glitter and special effects into an actor with face eyebrow wigs "That were totally crushing on each other."_

 _"Skank." the heiress told her affectionately._

 _"You love it." Korra winked. "While Bo was in hiding after puking over his parent's place are Asami invited Mako, him and me to her place for the weekend. Her_ massive _place. It was like a mansion."_

 _"It was a mansion."_

 _"Like yeah!"_

 _Actress Asami did a perfect swan dive after fanning herself with money and raining it before the jump. When she emerged her hair was perfectly quaffed and dry._

 _"So Mako and Bolin are swimming and Asami is gliding and all 'why don't you take a dip!'. I didn't have a bathing suit so she's all lets do something else. I'm like ugh, this sucks she's gonna want to do makeovers."_

 _"Yeah. No."_

 _"She took me to her mother friggin race tracks! And she shrugs it off like oh yeah can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes - hair_ flip! It was amazing. _Not only was she beautiful, prissy elegant and rich but she had my supposed dream guy_ _and hella talent._ "

 _"Didn't stop you from stealing my boyfriend though." Asami teased._

 _"Yeah well I was a jealous idiot… I should have stolen you."_

Asami felt Korra's thumb drag across her own before raising their joined hands to kiss the back of her hand. Everyone was watching the screen, so when the athlete smirked at her it felt like a private moment.

 _"Couple of days later," on-screen Korra continued "Bolin runs into my calc class with a cupcake in a bowtie, around his neck this time. Asks me for a date, and I look at Plank Face and Long Legs here rubbing noses and I'm like screw it. Up until he vomited Bolin here seemed like a pretty nice guy."_

 _"N'aww."_

 _"You're welcome." Korra clicked her tongue and pointed at him, "We had noodles, a good laugh it was a fun… event… for me. Next day I'm running track and his brother runs up beside me and is all 'how was your date?' I was like 'okay' and he was all 'just okay?' and I'm all 'what's it to you pretty eyes?' and he's all 'hey that's my brother' then he drags me behind the bleachers and is all 'you're just doing this to get to me?' and it clicks for me he_ likes me too _and I call him out on it and he's all like 'duuuh no!' like all red and stuff…" Plank Mako shows up with painted blushing cheeks beneath his eyebrows. "I'm like you loooove me - which is great cause I think we belong together!"_

 _"Then bluurgh!" Asami pulls a disgusting kissy face, "they're making out behind the bleachers before Bolin the wonderful here walks in on them with roses like a idiot."_

 _"Yeah I like lotus' jackass." Korra chuckled._

 _"You broke my heart!" he yelped._

 _"Hey!" Opal reminded him._

 _"Any way we have this huge bust up - everybody's mad, everyone's like we made a mistake. So we go off to cool off. But luckily B-Zoulder to the rescue! Or so I thought."_

 _"They took her to this shady party."_

 _"I was so scared and someone slipped me something that made everything sparkly and hellish at the same time."_

 _"What are you a magnet for roofies?"_

 _Korra shrugs._

 _"So anyway she calls Mako,_ come get me I don't know where I am _and he's with me so I watch him go berserk. I'm driving the car while he's calling the guys yelling at them -_ you should have been protecting her _I mean we were both worried but I'd never seen him get like that, and I think then I knew… So we get her, tuck her in and I know, so I let him go. Be with her. Be happy." Asami looks at her wife, nodding solemnly before sticking up her thumb and adding._

 _"Two months later and we blow up like a nuclear disaster… but somehow it didn't ruin us. And even then I think I knew, we were bonded and great for each other and no matter what happened, I was going to love you for a long time."_

 _"When was that for you?" Asami probed, leaning closer._

 _"Can we say it on three?"_

 _"I doubt it'll be the same."_

 _"I know but there's fun in finding out…"_

 _"Ugh you people are so cute I could just vomit - Just do it already!" Opal interjected._

 _"Ok three…"_

 _"Two."_

 _"Driving lessons." Korra blurted._

 _"_ You too _?" The screen flashes with Korra's screen saver; the pair in Future Industries Jumpsuits, Korra on Asami's back. Laughing and struggling not to fall off Korra had leaned forward and dug her chin into a sensitive, ticklish spot on the heiress neck._

 _"It was the first time we spent a whole day alone together, and I got to see the real you. How great you are how kind, and patient, so very very patient you are with stupid old me."_

 _"You're not old," Asami hummed, bringing her lips to Korra's as she laughed._

"Chapter three." _Opal said, "The Longest Goddamn Pining Anyone Has Ever Seen."_


	17. Chapter 17

_"…So I crashed her car for the fifth or sixth time,"_

 _"In your third lesson." Asami added, grinning softly, and eyeing her wife with an air of smugness._

The heiress nudged her avatar, as the video played out an obviously doctored clip of actress Korra flipping their car, and the ladies landing with little more than a few strands of hair out of place. Meanwhile Asami was giving her a more sober, just as smug look, until Korra tugged on her fingers to pull her ear to her lips.

"You kept touching my hand on the steering wheel." she explained quietly.

"I had to keep the pedestrians out of your path of destruction."

"So _that_ was your excuse for this then. It wasn't at all 'cause you were _into_ me." Korra smiled back, flexing fingers snugly between hers.

"Shut up." the heiress hushed, blushing. "We're _married_."

" _Still_." Korra snickered.

 _"Hey!"_ Opal hissed, prompting them to yank their hands back and hide them under the table like a couple of naughty school children. "Watch the picture!"

" _So audience member what have you learned_?" _Korra leaned back, swirling her drink for dramatic effect, "Given the opportunity, two well functioning, level headed people spent some time together, realised there was something there and began that calm descent into mutual and respectable love that would last a lifetime?"_

 _"Again. No."_

 _Korra shook her head and downed her drink before adding._

 _"We were in fact two awkward, confused people trying to get through high school and then college together without revealing how very_ very _gay we both were. Without…noticing how very, extremely, gay we both were…" Korra hung her head and covered her eyes in embarrassment, her lips however pulling at an unstoppable grin. "…For each other."_

 _"You took soccer for christ's sake." Asami gasped as the revolution occurred to her. "I mean you were really_ really _good at it."_

 _"Yeah that should have been your first clue…so this is really on you!"_

 _For a moment the heiress was speechless, having no rebuttal the only thing she could think to do in her defence was pull the bottle of vodka from behind the chair and swig while nodding._

 _"Fast forward five years."_

 _"Korra and I had graduated. Twice. I was starting an entry level job at F.I,"_

 _"That's Future Industries. You still work there right? What is it you did?"_

 _"It's really interesting actually, I'll never forget my first day in the mail room, dealing with depositions, enacting synergy in the work place and - Korra?" looking across her wife was starting to snooze on her chair, "Korra you asked." the athlete didn't react, "you want to say anything about what you were doing?" still nothing, "you want some tequila?"_

 _Korra's eyes sprang open as she sat upright, glass aloft._

 _"-This wasn't long before I had been drafted for the junior team for US women's soccer, and within a miracle month of that, I was bumped to the senior team."_

 _At the time it had been one of the best, most joyous days of her young life, but something about that sentence turned her smile sour._

Korra's grip on Asami's fingers tightened under the table. Even though they had been blackout drunk when they recorded this, it didn't take remembering to know what happened next.

 _"Korra called me, practically yelling about the team and her future and - you were so excited," Their hands gravitated towards each other on their chairs, and met in the middle, "Just listening to you talking about this future, how perfect it was with your job and you were so happy and I…I was just listening to your voice, like the rise and fall and just how full of life it is…I knew how I felt then, without any doubt and I…" she drew off, throat thick, twisting their fingers, not knowing whether to look at Opal, her wife or their grip "I was the first person you called," she caught the moisture under her eyes before it was too noticeable, "I was the first person you shared it with."_

 _Despite total inebriation, unlike her wife Korra knew exactly where to look, and she was looking at her with total sober affection._

 _"So she asked me to dinner. Just the two of us, to celebrate. Kwongs at 8. Dress nice but not too nice."_

 _"You said it sounded perfect."_

 _"It would have been." Korra urged, "If I had made it."_

 _The sad music now was telling, it went without saying the pain the two were in, and rather than dwell on it there was simply news clips, helicopter shots of the wreck and finally, unexpectedly a photo the couple were completely unaware had been Asami was never sure actually happened. From the viewpoint of a long distance lens; the heiress was on her knees after her legs had buckled under her like twigs, and sirens gleaming behind her head like a bloody halo, crouched at the cusp of the fuming wreck. She had Korra's dark hand cradled in her own, and her lips were kissing the skin._

Asami sucked in a breath like she had been punched in the gut. Her free hand reached blindly and clasped Korra's wrist, as the music brightened, she gripped.

 _"STAY WITH ME" read the headline, the LA Times had covered the wreck, and had used this photo._

The heiress reflected how for she hadn't thought about her image, what others thought of their tragedy. It was then she realised that Korra's parents hadn't just protected their daughter from the press. She caught the glinting trail of tears on Senna's cheek from what felt like half a world away, and of course Senna felt her looking and sent her gaze right back, smiling through the tears.

 _Headlines gave way to photos, and Korra was conscious, in hospital, clear enough to give a dopey grin as her parents had hold of each hand, meanwhile Asami had collapsed in the guest chair after sitting vigil for over seventy hours until a few moments before._

 _"Okay, okay we're up!" Asami's voice rang out, not as clear as before but this was old phone footage._

 _A padded floor, and Bolin's sneakers before the frame was rising to see Korra in her wheelchair dead ahead, hair long, feet angled together. Asami stood at the end of balance bars, a second chair waiting. All Korra would have to do it take ten steps._

 _"Bolin, you're not going to put this up online are you?" Korra's voice eeked through, soar but unmistakably hers._

 _"This is just for our official records." Asami told her._

 _"Who's?" Korra's head whipped up a little too fast and she tried not to wince, a blush colouring as she gripped her neck habitually._

 _"Mine okay you're making such good progress I want you to see it!"_

 _"So you're recording?"_

 _"Yup! We're up!" Asami insisted. Korra swallowed, gripping the balance bars._

 _"What if I fall?"_

 _"K - you can do this. I believe in you."_

 _"Get ready to eat your words," Korra jibed, gripping, hoping Asami would think the red on her cheeks could be mistaken for exertion, and not the usual reaction she received whenever Asami, and only Asami, referred to her by the one letter pet name. "And we're up." She pulled, eyes closed, taking her weight onto her arms as her feet curled into position._

 _"And we're walking." Asami urged._

 _"You the man Korra. You the man!" Bolin crowed, thus far successfully keeping his own excitement at bay. She shot him a rueful look before rising her left foot._

 _Step. Just one, a multitude of complexes skittered through Korra's head before she raised her right to take another simple, step. Asami fought with a mass of her will power to refrain from catching her as she struggled, but Korra wasn't falling yet. It was a hard burden to bear - watching someone once so physically strong crumble. What the heiress was constantly reminding herself was the worst part was over, everything now was only temporary, so she gripped the bars too and watched Korra take the fifth step._

 _"Half way there." Asami smiled at her, and when Korra looked up something in her gaze shifted, the heiress remembered it was something between determination, and desire, but that could have been wishful thinking._

 _The athlete's palms slid up the beams towards her, and for the first time some fluidity returned to her movements. She took three steps in quick succession, shifting her weight through the stances, so quick that the heiress felt her own breath jolt past her ribs as she readied her hands in anticipation._

 _"'M okay!" Korra grunted, eyes closed as pain wracked through her. Asami wanted to tell her it was okay to give up, it was absolutely fine to try again when it didn't hurt so much. But she knew Korra, and she knew the Water Tribe girl would never accept it until she came down this that final resounding crack. So she said instead,_

 _"I'm right here."_

 _Korra bit down on her lip so hard it nearly bled, shifting her left foot in a half step, looking up finally, sweat beading on her forehead. Determination, desire, right then the heiress was sure of it. Asami almost said I love you right there and then. The thought shut her brain off for half a second, and when she came to Korra was in her arms, and she was successfully holding her weight against the heiress, who couldn't help but lift her with glee._

 _If Korra was in pain she didn't show it - burying her face into the silk of the carmaker's dark locks laughing giddily as her hand curled into her shirt at her back._

 _Their laughter gave away to cheers, which was more like roaring than anything else, a soccer stadium filled to the brim as the US women's soccer team emerged from their dressing room, the camera following Korra, the commentators praising her on her comeback._

 _"I couldn't have done this without the undying support from my family and my friends!"_

 _While the cheers and voices continued to ramble old photos faded up, of the pair at christmas asleep side by side on the couch while Bolin and Mako gave them bunny ears and Bolin brandished a fistful of shaving cream. Korra's chair slumped against the arm of the sofa._

 _"I will henceforth take full controlling responsibility of Future Industries." Asami's voice rang out and a newsreel of her press conference came up as she continued, "It is with a heavy heart that I renounce my father's influence, and as he serves his time, the board and I will be looking for anomalies and taking FI into the future, with our new, entirely positive directive. Let us connect the world. From the phones in our pockets, to the vehicles in our driveway…thank you."_

 _Drunk Asami's voice filtered through as her former self walked down the stage, struggling with blinding tears and heels._

 _"I remembered her asking why? Like why did I stay, why was I ruining my life to look after her-"_

 _"Don't." Korra interrupted, "That was the worst thing I ever said to you…"_

"And I said," _Asami continued,_ " _I screamed actually it was one hell of a shouting match…you would do it for me. Like you look at me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't do the exact same, all the physical therapy, the scans, the baths the…awkward stuff you would do it for me."_

 _"I was of the opinion at the time, I was holding you back…and if I loved you I should let you go."_

 _"You don't think that anymore?"_

 _"No I'm too…passionately in love with you to ever let you go. I'd jump into a burning volcano if you asked me to." She leaned forward, clumsily pressing her lips to the rosy curve of Asami's cheek, she smiled as though a great, age long victory had been won opening her emerald eyes a crack to gaze lovingly at her wife, before asking._

 _"But you wont do dishes?"_

 _Korra pursed her lips for the moment and eyed the camera as though begging for an out. Until she said._

 _"Chapter Four - Vegas."_

 _"Brought to you by the United States Supreme Court of America," Asami added._


	18. Chapter 18

" _Psst!_ Opal!" Korra bent towards her, suddenly remembering in graphic detail the Vegas she wasn't sure she wanted to show. Scratch that. She was definitely sure she didn't want a room of her relatives, oldest friends and their assortment of impressionable children her bare ass. The stunt double grinned at her. "Is there… _nudity_ in this?"

Opal's cheshire cat like grin returned and Korra felt her brain fall into her feet with worry. Somehow the flickering screen made her features more dramatic with shadows and ultimately - evil.

 _"Your face!"_ she crowed, "aside from your language I've kept it PG-13." she winked.

 _"Aw."_ Asami whined earning joint confused looks as she smirked and enjoyed the screen. "Wow," she commented as the skyline of the casinos came into view, "Cool aerial shots."

 _"Are you guys ready to hear about the most - hands down - the craziest, most unexpectedly incredible night of our entire lives?"_

 _"Good cause so are we…" As the heiress trailed off, the newlyweds in their chairs appeared on screen._

 _"But first we need something to remind us, something that's missing…" Korra put her fingers to her lips as she pondered, before Asami had a eureka moment._

 _"More booze!"_

 _"She knows me." Korra shrugged as the heiress all but flipped over the back of her seat. "Real smooth baby."_

 _"Yoga." the carmaker explained happily._

 _The film cut to Asami swaying, dancing behind the seats in giant round shades brandishing champagne while Korra smiled at her and then the camera. Before cutting again to the girls eating a large pizza. Naga dipped her head in and stole a slice._

 _"Do you think that Papa John is like… a papa?" Korra drawled._

 _"What?"_

 _"Does he have little kiddie Johns? Making…calzones?"_

 _"Calzones aren't pizzas."_

 _"But they're in the family."_

 _"My God you're right." Asami looked up in revelation, her shades falling down in front of her eyes from her hair._

 _"Man we should get kids_ ," _Korra leaned on her hand as she admired her pizza longingly, "we can feed them, put them in outfits, they can curl up at the end of our bed…wait…puppies, we should get puppies." Naga yelped. "What?"_

 _"Ladies!" Opal interjected, "Shall we get back to Vegas?"_

 _Cutting to Korra's world cup victory parade news reel as she waved and sent a selfie to Asami._

 _"Back tracking a little." Korra began, "I competed in some thing. Soccer, well to do. It went well."_

 _"You won didn't you?"_

 _"Ahem! MVP."_

 _The newspaper showed a shot of Korra being lifted by her teammates in a flurry of confetti and champagne._

 _"I was…newly single I should say." Asami added, "I had been away from LA for almost three years and I missed everybody. So I invited everyone of age on a spur of the moment trip. Where we got together."_

 _"Where did we go hun?"_

 _"Las Vegas."_

 _"Yeah."_

 _The pair grinned at the cameras then, hoping not to digress anything else even in their inebriated state, and Korra occasionally blinking one eye at a time._

 _"Care to divulge_ how _that happened?" Opal pressed._

 _"Normally." Asami said._

 _"Really?"_

 _"I was a girl, in front of a girl. Asking her to love her." Korra answered. "It's really not that confusing."_

 _"So you said it first?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"No that was me."_

 _"Yeah get your stories straight!" Mako interjected._

 _"Can it Mayko!" Opal all but snarled, a noise to which Bolin's only unfortunate reaction was to giggle uncontrollably._

 _Grinning and blushing Korra relented._

 _"Okay it went like this…you're gonna bleep out any vulgar parts right? Right - So…"_

 _There were a lot of bleeps as Korra spoke then, and judging by her hand gestures, she was telling the truth. The words, "Dancing." "Roofies" and "Bellagio" filtered through, before Opal gave up and went with a montage._

Asami leaned forward on her chair and mouthed to their director _'Thank you.'_

 _Jinora had archived a lot of it the Periscope, hoping to be able to relive the experience in a more private setting. Her friends drinking together. Korra presenting the mini bar, greeting cards, an accidental shot that Bolin had taken after Asami's dance, the moment the heiress fed her fingers into Korra's locks and kissed her finally. It was blurry and half filled with Bolin's face because he was trying to figure out how to flip his phone camera. Unfortunately he didn't have a Sato Phone._

 _Suddenly a magic marker circle appeared around the darkened figure beside the girls._

 _"This asshole." Asami explained, "roofied us."_

 _"We can confirm that this male, late twenties, dark hair placed an illicit substance in the vics drinks." The film cut to Mako, alone in a chair in the same room Korra and Asami had sat in. Hair slicked back, eyebrows sharp, he picked at his collar of his uniform, "Do I really have to wear this?"_

 _"You look sharp!" Bolin told him._

 _"You look hot!" Wu added._

 _"Just do the thing!" Opal ordered._

 _"Ugh fine…On the night in question Korra fended off a potential attack on the pair with a single punch…"_

 _A photo of actress Korra flickered up, mid action shot, punching an actor Tahno square in the mouth. RECONSTRUCTION was plastered over the top corner._

 _"…After the girls fled, at around twenty two hundred. The assailant tracked them down at the Little Haku Wedding Chapel some hours."_

 _"And Day Spa!" Korra reminded off screen._

 _"…and day spa." He rolled his eyes._

 _"Shouldn't he be drunk for this?" Asami's voice, though quiet could be heard clearly._

 _"He is." Bolin told her, "He's boring even on fun juice!"_

 _"I can hear you!" he snapped._

 _"Here." Wu stepped in and started tugging on his tie._

 _"Whaduyya!" Wu yanked the tie around his forehead. "Happy?" The officer grunted. The camera nodded. "Fine…As a favour to me the Las Vegas Police Department has released this video of the suspect being apprehended in the early hours of that morning. Once outside the chapel."_

 _CCTV footage showed Asami wailing on Tahno with quick harsh punches and kicks, it was over quickly, and though clumsy, stumbling like a adrenaline pumped, lanky deer, she managed to scoop up her bleeding wife, their temporary chicken companion and their newly signed wedding certificate. "And again later that day at Sunrise Hospital."_

 _The hospital CCTV captured Tahno spotting Chief of Police, and trying to run attached to morphine, and inevitably being yanked back by his arm._

 _"He has since been detained and been charged appropriately by the State of Nevada. There is that what you wanted? Are ya happy?"_

 _"Very," Opal admitted, "Go patrol the…stairs." She pulled the camera round to her face and said, "Meanwhile!"_

 _Korra and Asami's wedding photos flickered up on screen, Korra on her knees, the pair in an embrace, at the alter, both glaring indignantly at the camera, and of course plenty of Miyuki._

 _Korra's voice filtered through, transitioning from stills of the past and motions of the present._

 _"We didn't really have time for dances and speeches on our wedding night because we we're busy with other things…Beating up the man who drugged us and taking my new wife and Miyuki, the chicken we stole… to hospital. The man, who subsequently has been caught owing that he ended up in the ER too, with a broken rib and a list of felonies longer than my-" Asami nudged her, "well its long. But I digress… I'm getting sidetracked…" When Korra spoke now she was well ware she was being watched by Asami, playing with her fingers, as she told her something she hadn't actually said in as many words._

 _"This whole area of getting married didn't occur to me, the speeches, the dresses, the party. I was so swept up in everything that Asami was that I didn't think about sharing the experience with anyone else and wow out loud that sounds pretty selfish. But I guess I was… The truth is I knew then that everything I would ever need to be was holding white lotus' on the other side the curtain in that chapel."_

 _"What?" Korra's voice was different now, quieter, lower quality, as the chairs faded away Korra's muscular naked back came into view, Asami's pale hand tracing the marks, wrist bent at Korra's ribs. "What are you thinking?" Korra asked again. This had been taken from one of the subtitled Youtube clips._

 _"_ Opal!" Korra scolded.

"PG-13! I swear!" the stunt double reiterated, "You can't even see your butt!"

 _"Tell me." Korra went on repositioning her arm so she could cup the heiress' cheek. In response Asami's arm moved up her back, revealing a smudge of chocolate syrup which the newlyweds prayed no one in the room would notice._

 _"I love that we did this." Asami answered quietly, "You were so right…Nothing could ever make me regret doing this with you. This is better than a dream…I'm dead."_

 _"I hope not - that'd make me narcoleptic."_

 _"You suffer from sudden uncontrollable bouts of sleep?"_

 _"Something is mixed up there."_

 _Despite all that had happened, it was still all so quick, and maybe it was the adrenaline, induced by the wedding, the fight or the hotel room, but they were now completely sober. She could feel every inch of the heiress' body, her skin still slick with dying sweat in the angle of their hips and tangle of their calves. They fit together perfectly, and then she wondered if they always had, but never gave themselves the chance. Her own body had developed an unconscious reaction to whenever they had touched, however fleeting, the static pop that came coupled with dark and light. It had evolved, and the electricity coursing through them made her feel super human._

 _Korra gently tugged her close, her nose brushing Asami's, eyes searching in earnest as though asking permission before she kissed her lips for the thousandth time that night. The athlete hoped the more she did this would undo all the times she'd stopped herself._

 _The heiress' hand lifted then from her back to the bandage on her temple, pressing on the corner that had started to peel in their fray._

 _"Hows your head?" the carmaker enquired against her lips._

 _"It's fine two sugars Doctor please."_

 _"Korra!" The athlete chuckled as the heiress fake-whined and buried her face in the heiress' neck, feeling her long arms holding her and kissing under her jaw gratefully. "As much as I love that you're laughing I need you to be honest with me."_

 _"I can't feel anything bad but I think thats a good thing." Korra admitted. A lot of ideas were fleeting through Korra's head, what to say, how to act, which dreams would be appropriate, premature or just crazy enough to make her love run for the hills. She may not have been drunk, but that certainly didn't mean she was as smooth as she wanted to be sober. The reality of having all of Asami pressed against her was intoxicating, and the stupidity of what she said next made her ears glow extremely. "You're so hot right now."_

 _"What's your point?" Asami smiled, teasing her fingers through Korra's short locks._

 _"I meant warm I forgot how hot it was to sleep with somebody I mean! With you, not with you with you but close next to you- in the same bed not that I've ever-."_

 _"God you're concussed still aren't you?"_

 _"_ No _! I'm…I'm just nervous." Korra turned, raising herself on her elbow above her, letting her wife settle into the pillows that still managed to remain on their bed. The angle of the camera and cling of the sheets protecting their modesty as she used her free hand to trace her thumb over Asami's lipstick-free lower lip. "Don't take this the wrong way but…I never understood why you stayed. What you see in me. I was an ass when we met."_

 _"_ Kay _-"_

 _"I can't believe it turned out this way…I had all these feelings but I couldn't see the most amazing person I've ever met falling in love with me…On paper we're so random."_

 _"Are you kidding?" her tone was light but the draw of her brow made Korra think she'd just insulted her, that was until her fingers brushed her lips and tucked her hair behind her ear, "It was obvious to everyone but us you you know… I could list your traits which could be the reason I love you_ logically _if you wanted_ - _your eyes; your lips; your kindness; your bravery. The way you treated me like a person and not just a Sato, not even a rich person, you always go dutch on_ everything _." her lips found her smile, and with that Korra felt all the worries she had gathered just float away as she added, "I was alone in the world, or at least I thought I was, and it wasn't until I started kissing my best friend did I realise that my family was right on my doorstep. It was what I made it. It was who I was brave enough to chose, and sweet enough to choose me…_ _I've seen you at your worst - but I think you're the best person on the planet."_

 _Korra had no words for how Asami's made her feel, part of her wanted to track back into her memory, to eek out and trap each trait that had captured her wife's heart. If only to narcissistically look back on it and figure out if it could be recreated, but she had a feeling it was like bottling sunshine; only precious in the now. For the moment a kiss would suffice, thankfully the film was cut away to save Opal's PG-13 rating._

 _The newlyweds had moved from their dual chair interview, from drinking anymore, from consciousness itself; the pair were filmed laying on a couch. Asami tucked into Korra's chest, a lock of hair in her mouth while Korra had one arm up her back and the other limp, fingers tangled with shag carpet that she had assumed was Naga._

 _Writing popped up._

 _"Wu was mad we forgot to include him in the story._

 _So we left him alone with them for 5 minutes."_

 _5 minutes later - thankfully made short by a single jump cut, Korra had sharpie whiskers and pink fluffy bunny ears on her head, while the illustrious, industrious Asami Sato bore a striking resemblance to a snoozing sharpie Harry Potter._

 _"You guys are perfect for each other._

 _Congratulations Korra and Asami."_

Applause became a standing ovation, to which Opal immediately stood up to receive before she beckoned towards the Sato's.

"It's almost midnight!"

It was then Asami truly noted the basin carved of bone behind them, and the steps that now Tonraq and town elders were walking up. If the heiress didn't know any better, she would have said the water in the bowl held a light of its own, and in that moment all she could think of was her wife's eyes.

Korra interlocked their fingers and led her over, as the room watched on their feet. The ceiling opened, and Asami could feel the moon on her face. A shell, filled with water from the basin, was passed from person to person, and the most respected members of the water tribe blessed it with a kiss, or a whisper. For the Brave, for the Trusted. It was handed to Korra, who never looked away from Asami's piercing gaze. She said nothing, but her eyes held that same tempting look that made Asami want to dash away the cup, offend the tribe and take her right there. Her lips met shell in a soft kiss, before bringing it to the carmakers'.

Before she drank, Asami had never known water to be so sweet. If her encounters with Korra had been bottled sunshine, this elixir could only be described as liquid moonlight, calming cold and comforting all the same. As she marvelled in the magic she had just consumed, Korra pressed another chaste soft kiss to her lips, before whispering in that silken voice of hers

"Welcome."


	19. Chapter 19

"… A lady wouldn't ask."

"I know I know and _a Sato wouldn't tell,_ but Asami; you owe me! Jinora doesn't she owe me?"

"Not just you, wasn't it I - _the frenchiest fry_ \- that told you to let the flag of freak fly on that particular vacation which had you practically…" Jinora's alcohol addled adolescent mind struggled for the right wording when Opal lovingly interjected.

"- _Frothy in the knickers_ for the Water Tribe Wonder over there."

"You had to go with the most off putting turn of phrase didn't you?" the heiress narrowed her eyes but her lips couldn't help but smile at the women who had somewhat orchestrated the happiest moments of her life. Even sober as she was then, it was difficult to deny.

"You people have an unnatural interest in Korra's sex life, should I be worried? Are one or both of you closet cases?

"You're one to talk!" Opal snorted, while Jinora explained.

"Okay imagine you watch a TV show and the only time a couple you really want to be a couple are close to doing anything romantic - they're kept from expressing how they feel by some cruel twist of fate and before the climactic ending where they may or may not get together! The show is cancelled!" the young stunt double's voice almost screeched at the last sentence, " _and then_ you find all this fan fiction and references to a deleted scene!" she gestured at Asami, "and it has all the answers!"

"Okay I'm lost - Korra and I are a TV show?"

"Tiny crazy is saying we've watched the two of you … blossom over so many years. I mean did you _watch_ the same film we just watched? Ten years is ridiculous Sato, even for your… _situation_. Its out of concern for your mental well being - you have to tell us; how is it to have…everything you always wanted?"

"But more specifically in the sac." Jinora added.

"Agreed." Opal chimed.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes!"

Asami closed her eyes, a library of details flitted through her mind, too exquisite and precious to focus on just one. Opening them she went with the simplest, and hopefully pain free option.

"She's amazing."

"Oh my God - _details woman!"_

 _"Okay! God!_ She's incredible okay - _the best sex_ I've ever had, and not just because its _her_ , she dances this line between making love and fucking and both are in her power. Pick one? Forget that she mixes both and it's crazy but she does it! And the stamina- _christ_ \- with anyone else I was lucky to come, with her I'm lucky to come just twice before I can even begin to give her anything!"

"Wow. Okay, you got a crazy look in your eye."

" _Wait I'm into this now._ She's a fast learner, it took like no time at all for her to just know my body and how to make my eyes water with she does this thing with her fingers that's just-"

"We get it!"

"What really?"

"Yes, damn girl I didn't think anything could ever be _that_ good."

"I think I might vomit with jealousy." Jinora slurred, "No wait that's actual- _excuse me_!" the nimble twenty year old darted through the dwindling party to the nearest evacuation point suddenly as her older friends watched her vault over a toppled chair.

"I feel kind of bad about your present now."

"The movie? The movie was great Opal I can't praise you enou-"

"No, no." Opal interjected, "Wu and I got you guys something, it's in your room right now."

"Oh God what is it? Is it big? It's not some kind of contraption is it?"

"I've said too much."

" _What_? With what I just told you!"

"I can't Wu would kill me!" Opal defended despite her trademark grin pulling her lips, "lets just say if your sex life was lacking this would fill a very big…ahem gap."

"You're such assholes." Asami pouted as the study double wrapped her up in a hug and said.

"You guys can thank me later,"

The heiress gave a derivative _tsk!_ to which Opal replied

"and I love you too."

"I can't believe we corrupted such an upstanding member of my staff," Asami mused watching Wu fawn over Mako's quaff and tease it right, even more surprisingly Mako was letting him.

"He's my spirit animal." Opal mused happily as she too marvelled at one of her new partners in crime. It was becoming something of a firm.

"Oh darn." Asami exulted.

"What?'

"I just remembered." and with that, if only to annoy the trickster, the heiress went off in search of her wife without another word.

Pale arms reached around Korra's chest from behind. Her lips pressed against the athlete's cheek as she told her.

"I have a gift for you."

"Is that so?"

"Mm whisk me away for five minutes and I'll show it to you."

"Wait I want to see this." Korra gestured with her fingers, to her friends, Bolin, Wu and Mako grinning for a selfie stick up on the stage, somehow they couldn't be far away enough to fit all three of them in the frame. Belts of whiskey and rum, in a drink that Wu had lovingly named _Rhiskey,_ which must always be drank after uttering the phrases " _this is the stupidest idea I've had all night_ ," followed by " _agreed_ " by all companions, had the boys teetering over the edge.

Asami smiled as they watched, settling her now clean chin against the crook of Korra's neck to watch comfortably.

" _No_." she mused, "They can't be that-"

Before she could finish Bolin's foot went too high up, and he fell back, Wu and Mako somehow tangled with him and the trio propelled off stage onto the front table which had thankfully been emptied of people and cutlery.

"Got it!" Bolin crowed triumphantly, meanwhile his brother and his boyfriend wheezed and coughed, very much in sudden pain.

"I'm coming baby!" Opal exclaimed from across the room, rushing over and of course tripping on the now collapsed table and worsening the injuries as she catapulted across all three of them.

The girls however found themselves in a breathless embrace, laughing and leaning against each other.

"Should we help them?" the heiress gathered herself enough to ask.

"They're big boys," Korra reasoned, grinning for another reason as Asami took her cue and began leading her by the hand. It was silly how young she felt, like teenagers sneaking away from prying eyes at their own party.

It would have been an impossibility to slip out unnoticed a mere hour before, but now the sun was rising, and the pair had just about waved off most of the Southern Water Tribe. Now the waning soirée was left with the usual suspects, and it had become habit forming the way the newlyweds could slip away unnoticed while their more energetic friends could paint any town red.

They came to the lobby, witness only by a bored concierge, where Asami slowed and Korra bumped into her, not that she was complaining.

"Wait where is it you're stashing this gift?" as if to emphasise her question her hands came around Asami's waist to inspect the thus form fitting dress she had on. It left room for imagination but not enough to hide any kind of present.

"I have my ways," the heiress soothed, angling her steps towards the reception. The concierge, surprisingly eager to have anything to do perked up, producing a package, a large thin silver box bound by fine deep blue silk. Asami mouthed her thanks and held it gingerly in her hands, suddenly nervous. "You wanna…"

"I know somewhere." Korra confirmed.

"Not too-"

"In the hotel."

Taking hold of her hand, pride welling in her chest at the way just a few random words between them meant so much, and led her into the catacombs of the Southern Water Tribe's Palace Hotel. Korra didn't look lost for one second though, she cut through narrow servants corridors and avoided other straggling guests like nobody's business.

"How do you know this place so well?"

"Our family used to be able to stay here whenever we liked. We're kind of part owners."

"Family huh? What are you a princess of the Palace Hotel?"

"It didn't used to be a hotel."

The heiress let out a disbelieving, "What?"

"C'mon." Korra laughed, "We're almost there."

"Wait wait wait, before it was a _hotel_ , this was a palace…and your family owned _that palace."_

"Yea- Yes." Korra stammered, before concentrating on a wrought iron door they were now stood n front of, a seal of the Southern Tribe carved into the metal, with her free hand she yanked hard on the handle and it opened.

The heiress just started to hear birdsong (which was ridiculous they were in the middle of harsh alaskan winter) before exclaiming.

"You're royalty!" The heiress of the Sato fortune, ordinarily poised and perfect couldn't help but gape like a fish at her wife as the realisation struck her.

" _Used to be."_ Korra urged, "my great-great-grandfather abdicated to let a democracy settle in but we're still respected members of the tribe yadda-yadda it's really not a big deal."

She didn't know what was more embarrassing, her face or the fact that the signs had always been there - she had simply never made the connection.

" _I married a princess._ " Asami breathed, struggling with the concepts in the visages of her mind.

"That makes you a princess too, you know."

"How am I realising this just now? I'm an adult! _I paid your bills_!" She meant to add that when paying those bills she saw Korra's full name and title as 'Of The Southern Water Tribe' hundreds of times and of course never realised what it meant.

"I can't believe that's all you're focusing on when you're standing on the only grass for a hundred miles."

She looked up and saw an arch, footed by an archipelago of grassy hills surrounding a small pond and a network of intricate rivers. These were backed by reeds, and these were loomed over by the icy cliff face.

"Oh God am I-?"

"No this is a real place, tribe folk lore says this is where the spirits enter our world and gift us with new life." Korra shrugged, playing with Asami's fingers, "I've always wanted to share it with you."

"How come I don't know this about you?" the heiress muttered, mostly to herself. Dread started to seep in as she reflected on how quickly they had progressed, and how they maybe had skipped over some important details, like whether or not one of them was part of an ancient missing royal lineage.

"Hey, even after all this time I'm still allowed to surprise you you know." Korra teased, tugging on her fingers as she led her to the centre of the oasis. "Besides us royals don't tend to be as verbal about it these days, you should ask Wu."

"Very funny." Asami sneered jokingly, stepping over a stream. When the athlete didn't laugh she added in a slightly more worried tone, " _Korra?_ "

The princess smirked back at her, turning and walking backwards, leading before sitting on the bench over looking the pond. Asami caught a streak of ribbon poking out from behind it and asked.

"What's that?"

"I actually have a gift for you too."

"Korra!"

"Two actually."

"You do realise this whole day has been pretty much about me! I wanted to do something nice for you too!"

" _I know,_ I mean I guessed you would, because I know how sweet you are, and completely anal about the whole us being even thing because you're a control freak…but one of these gift's are sad and one's just a frivolous thing to help make the sad one easier."

"Is it possible to give a sad gift?"

"You tell me."

"No wait!" the heiress swept her hands over Korra's to stop her from reaching back. Suddenly the athlete found her face in close proximity of the carmaker's as she added in a softer tone "Mine first."

"'Kay." Korra smirked, closing the gap between their lips. A hand to her jaw reminded them that it had been hours since their last kiss, and that simply would not do. Just as the younger woman nipped at her roux lip, Asami pulled back, placing Korra's hand atop the box.

Tucking black silk behind her ear the heiress second guessed herself as Korra took the present from her grip.

"I know its presumptuous of me, I know but I had this idea and I called and-"

"I haven't even opened it yet."

"Right - _no spoilers_." Asami blushed and closed her eyes, listening to the deft tear of silver tissue paper within the card, only daring to peek after a few agonising seconds had gone by, "what do you think?"

Korra held the shirt in her hands, looking down on it as she struggled with the huge bomb-like lump that had formed in her throat.

"Is it okay?" Asami pressed again.

"Yea- Yes," tears welling in her eyes she finally managed to nod. She squeaked, "It's…" there weren't enough words to describe it, but when emerald hit blue Asami knew, the closest in all the english language was _perfect._

"Really?" the heiress asked, her own eyes becoming similarly afflicted.

"Yeah!" Korra managed, cupping her jaw and giving her a hard kiss. She had to stop however just to feel the texture of the embroidery, and marvel at the sleek sheen of the garment beneath her hands. The US Women's soccer team's emblem stitched expertly into the sleeve, and the name 'SATO' emblazoned above the number four on at its back.

This became one of those moments where Korra demonstrated her sterling trait of _don't think, just go with what you feel._

Standing, tugging down her dress to reveal her red bra and lace hipster lingerie, meant to be a surprise for later. Asami's mind went blip! The only thoughts momentarily filling her brilliant mind being _wow that was fast._

It was difficult to process the nuances of what was happening when Korra kept pausing to kiss her wife some more whilst repeating over and over,

 _"I love you."_

" _Korra_!" Asami gaped, watching her tug the shirt over her head and run her hands over the front, trying, and of course not succeeding, in seeing the name on the back, "Isn't you stripping here kind of… sacrilegious?"

"I love you- What? No… _maybe_ , did I mention I love you? I love this, but I love you more, _the same_ I don't know…I- love you."

"You've been saying that for five minutes." Asami grinned, each time she heard the phrase her heart had a surge of warmth and right now she felt like the ice caps behind her was about to melt.

" _I still mean it_."

Bent at the waist to level their faces, hair ruffled, half stepped out of her heels and her beautiful dress pooled beside her ankles, Korra looked so beautiful. More so than Asami could ever remember her ever being, but her processing capability had been drastically shortened at the sight of Korra in lingerie. It was also a little guilt inducing how good it felt to have her name branded on the soccer star's back, Asami never wanted to be possessive, but that part of her that was howling with glee.

 _"I love you too."_ Grinning the heiress returned with a passionate kiss of her own, suddenly Korra was straddling her on the bench, kisses tapering from her lips to her neck as she blurted.

"I want to cry."

"You are crying." Asami teased.

"Shut up I'm tough!" Korra sniffled, enjoying the warm hands tracing patterns against her spine, the same hands that considered cupping her ass.

"You're cute."

"M'not cute," Korra mumbled, kissing again, adding softly, "I'll mess you up."

Asami let out a short laugh before remembering the sad gift.

"What _do_ you have for me?"

"Oh god, it's nothing, not nothing, but compared to this…"

"It could never spoil the gift you just gave me," the carmaker assured her, "your reaction, _your face,_ just now, I'll remember this forever…"

"You're going to try and top it?"

"I know, _good luck,_ right?" this was one of those rare occasions when she had to look up at Korra, "Seeing you so happy. I'm just I'm so glad you like it."

"Ngh, _that's such an understatement,_ " Asami found herself grinning into her chest, holding her tight as Korra rubbed her cheek atop her head. She had a flash of memory, being held by the athlete and told that no matter what shampoo, balm or oil she used, the top of her head smelled just like her. She could tell Korra was thinking that too as she breathed in a lungful of her wife's intoxicating scent.

" _Okay_." she relented, manoeuvring her way from Asami's lap, "let's do this."

"You don't want to put your dress back on? Because of the cold?" Korra flashed her a lopsided grin.

"Asami. My ancestors were carved from ice and snow."

The heiress almost jibed that she had been sweating it up in LA for the better part of a decade. Only she felt her heart jolt at the gift bag the athlete procured from behind the bench, pulling from it first; an envelope marked with the inimitable scrawl of one Hiroshi Sato.

"Korra what is that?"

Asami's voice had taken on an alarming tone, it was neutral, and in the few arguments they'd had it was a tone that could go either way. The subject of her father had come up only once since Vegas, she hadn't seen him since then and she had only just admitted she was scared how the once fanatical man would react, and Korra had let it go. Or so she thought.

"He wrote me first." the athlete explained, "you went from barely speaking to shutting him out completely. He was worried. So was I, a little, concerning this…"

"What did you do?" it wasn't accusatory, but Asami couldn't help the worried glint in her eyes.

"I went to visit him. I couldn't help it…I told him everything. I know it was a little…belated but a part of me kind of wanted to ask permission."

"Did you…What did he say when you told him?"

"Oh he knew." Korra's lips pulled at a fighting-not-to-be-smug-smile, which only widened as Asami fell against her, nerves that had become taut when she saw the letter now snapped. She let out a gasp of breath she didn't know she was holding. Relief pulsed through her in waves, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

She sounded small, younger, when she asked.

"How'd he take it?"

"I think you'd better read it."

"My eyes are all blurry," she sniffled, so Korra amended her previous statement.

"I think I'd better read it out loud." Asami hooked her arms around her ribs gratefully, feeling the athlete's arm come around her back, stroking small intricate soothing patterns against her dress. "You ready?" she asked.

"Mmhmm."

"You comfortable?"

" _Korra_."

"Okay. Okay. We're good. I'm optimistic. We're gonna be good." She tugged on the paper, and unfurled the letter, "' _Dear,'_ christ what is that word? _, 'Automo-sami,'_ is'that a nickname? _It's adorable!"_

 _"Korra."_

 _"Okay okay,_

 _'When Korra surprised me with her visit, it disheartened me to find that she came alone…I miss you terribly, and please don't be afraid to visit me, even if its just to tell me off…But I digress. This stammering nervous woman told me what you had done together and asked of me two things.'_ I didn't stammer that much oh my god…" Korra caught herself and cleared her throat,

" _ahem_. ' _Number one, to write a letter to be read to you on the day you joined a larger part of another family, and number two to give my blessing of your union. When asked what would happen in the event that I refused, your wife said it wouldn't change anything, but having it would make you feel safe and accepted. I understand that you may have some feelings about my absence, and again that they will not be good ones. I am paying the price for my mistakes, unfortunately that has cost you too. It's created a wall between us I never wanted to build, and for the thousandth time, I'm sorry."_ The athlete paused, drawing her palm up Asami's arm, not expecting to feel her fingers cling to hers, urging her, though silent, to go on.

 _"But my darling,"_ Korra had to school her voice to keep it from cracking too much, _"you have handled it beautifully. You have made great strides in spite of me Asami, and it makes me so proud, in business, in charity, and now in life.'"_

 _"I've watched you love her for years. Though you never said, and may not have even known, you had each other's hearts.'"_

 _'The respect and love Korra has for you is describable to me only by comparing my own wife…your mother. I cannot imagine someone who wouldn't be happier with you, or could make you happier. So of course - you have my blessing. So be safe, know you are loved, and when you get the chance visit with Korra, she will never rival you at Pai Sho!_

 _All my love,_

 _Dad.'"_

Korra wiped her eyes and looked down at the woman clinging to her middle, reaffirming her grip on her knuckles and craning her neck to kiss her hair.

"You okay?"

"We're okay." Asami confirmed.

"I asked if you were-" the heiress interrupted by simply sitting straight, and then Korra was unable to continue because of the soft lips pressing sweetly against her own. Meanwhile the heiress teased the letter from her fingers, wiping her eyes silently to take it in. All of it.

"' _P.S_.'" She read aloud, voice shaky, but a light lily grew as her lips found a smile "' _Bring along Korra's parents, I'd love to meet the people who could raise such a brave and inspiring young woman. We could even compare notes.'_ "

"I didn't want to toot my own horn." Korra whispered, brushing her fingers through dark locks.

If the athlete's face, moments before, was the pinnacle of her happiness, and mirrored what Asami felt just by seeing it, Asami's right then was the same for peace. The echoes of the small rivers amplified it, the bird song and the sunlight creeping down on them both. They sat together in a living dream, and knew this was a moment to be enjoyed.

"What was your frivolous thing?" the heiress finally opened her eyes, thumbing the words on the page in her hands, still taking pleasure in their beauty,

"Do we need it?"

"No but I'd hate for it to go to waste."

"It was more of a proposition actually," Korra reached into the bag, and pulled out a golden dice, a Bellagio 'B' carved in the stead of a one dot.

"Pick six places. Assign a number. Roll."

"And we go?"

"We go. Call it a honeymoon."

"I wouldn't know where, I never think about-"

"Vacations I know Vegas was probably the first trip I've seen you take - and here and business trips don't count."

"So you want me to spout off six random locations."

"Yes."

"You don't care where?"

"I vow on this sacred place. Be spontaneous. Show me some controlled chaos."

"Six - okay Arctic."

"Okay not too far jesus."

"Ah - you don't care remember? Besides I would like to stand on top of the world with you."

"Fine," Korra pouted a little.

"Maui, sun sand a cabin on the beach."

"That's more like it."

"Paris, _romance_. Rome, _history_. London, _museums_ ,"

"Good, good, great, and number six?"

"Switzerland, the hadron super _collider!_."

"You're such a nerd I love it." Korra presented her with the dice, wrapping her fingers around it before kissing her knuckles.

"Which one do you want?" Asami asked watching her wife curiously as she felt the weight of it in her hands.

"To be with you." Korra spouted the line like she'd planned it.

" _Smoothie_." Asami grinned, and tossed, unaware that there was an ulterior outcome than the six she had presented.

 _Plop._ She rolled it into the pond.

"Son of a," Asami almost cursed, watching one of the two koi fish break its circular path and suck the dice into its mouth, "What now."

"Well I guess that means we do all of them." Korra shrugged, "In order."


	20. Chapter 20

"You're serious?" Asami asked, "Even the _Arctic_?"

"Deadly serious Sato. When have I ever gone back on my word?"

Asami looked at her like she didn't know if she was a genius or insane, in the end the excitement thrumming inside her at the mention of an actual real _relaxing_ vacation, with Korra no less, had her throwing her arms around her peppering her cheek with kisses.

"I love you." Asami confessed, and it felt as beautiful as the first time, somehow it always did. She supposed that was because she never thought she would say it, and that disappointing thought had been ingrained over the years no matter how long her dreams had been true.

The carmaker had been surrounded by people these last few years who only wanted something from her, money, business, friendly to get their own means and in a way she'd experience this her whole life. Hell it was something she'd accepted. Until of course Korra, all Korra wanted was for her to be happy, and what was brilliant about it is she knew exactly how to make that happen.

"But you're mad _we'll be sliced to pieces before we hit Canada._ " Misty eyed, the heiress chuckled breathlessly.

Korra laughed, "I didn't say we were _walking_ there." leaning back to catch her eye, hands tangled in the silk of her dress, as dark and rouge as her lips.

Suddenly every inch of her mind was filled with every exquisite plan for their future, and more specifically of course how it tasted on Asami's lips. The thought was so beautiful that her breath left her chest right there and then, and although she could no longer see the 'SATO' on her back she could feel it, and the carmaker's fingers tracing across the print. Her bright eyes tracing her figure and how her gift fit, perfectly on the princess' shoulders and her bare legs still warm despite the elements. Korra watched her bite her lower lip before meeting her gaze again.

"You know we have a room here-"

" _Yes_." Asami grabbed her hand and yanked her off the bench. The quick careful walk between creeks became sprinting through that iron door.

"Left!' Korra told her, knowing full well she knew this place better, but would stop at nothing to revel in the déja vu of being led to their hotel bed. "Two-two-one!" Korra was so happy they were nearing their destination almost every sound came out like a laugh. Bumping into Asami's back she couldn't help but find her mouth coming down on her exposed shoulder, biting a little she produced a key she luckily had whipped up from her dress, now discarded in the oasis.

The carmaker turned, carding her fingers through her gorgeous head of hair and kissing her hard as they stumbled through the door.

" _Wait!"_ Korra paused, and Asami sprang back by instinct, watching her slip her shirt over her head, "I am not risking _this_ ,"

The heiress watched her tousled, sex goddess wife, fold her gift carefully and place it on the desk adorned with welcome cards and complimentary flowers. Fighting her manic smile, Asami bit her lip, placing her father's letter on the mahogany next to it.

"No fair." Korra said.

"What?" before even a flicker of worry could reach Asami's heart Korra explained.

"You're still wearing all your clothes."

It was then Asami made a decision, where what she wanted to do and what she should do were one in the same, and so she placed her fingertips on Korra's solar plexus, and simply pushed. They matched step for step, as though in a slow inevitable dance, until the water tribe girl's knees buckled at the bed so she sat looking up at her dark pupils blown wide with lust.

"Let's change that." the heiress offered, both arms working in tandem, the left behind her back pulling the ties between her shoulder blade, and the other teasing the clasp of a broach at her collar. Thanks to gravity, this was all it took to make her dress pool at her feet, red and sheer she stepped out of it, and her heels. Korra's sharp intake of breath then was telling, Asami looked down at herself, and then at her wife, biting her lip before adding in a voice louder, more confident than she imagined she could be, especially now, "You're trembling."

"Have you seen yourself?" Korra asked, tone void of humour, filled merely of her total and complete adoration.

Asami stepped close, knees between Korra's parted legs, watching her hands curl into fists on her knees as she restrained herself, while Asami ghosted her fingertips over the athletes' profile, her shoulders, her biceps, her wrists, until finally entwining their fingers. "Where have you been hiding this?"

"I'm still allowed to surprise you." Asami teased, eyes dark, raising their hands to feel, to take in the lace with her palms, to tangle tan fingers with the black garters.

It was then it occurred to them both that they were alone, and no one was waiting for them, no check out, no work, there were no early mornings for a while, and no reason to rush. Not even their own hasty need to prove that this could happen, the dream had become reality, and exquisite, sweet, beautiful life goes on. Sober, clear, awake they look at each other and knew they had hours to explore every part of each other, and the daring glint in Korra's eye told the heiress she intended to do just that.

Korra leaned forward, lips barely brushing the parting in the silk where garter attached to bustier.

Asami tangled her own fingers in Korra's hair, craning her neck back, listening to the wet kiss Korra placed there before feeling it kick her heart into overdrive.

It was sheer muscle memory in the next moment that led to the heiress finding her legs straddling her, grinding her hips into Korra's abs, and the fingertips once gentle dug in deep eliciting gasps from both of them. It was new however, the way Korra's hands slipping had to map every edge and seam of her new opponent. Fighting clasps while mouthing the thin material, feeling the heiress' breath hitch when her fingers grazed the weak points.

Which was best was hard to determine when all the blood in her brain had of course rushed somewhere else. She bit down on her neck, lips grazing the silk betrothal necklace in her wake as before she reached up to remove it. The heiress catches her hand before she can even twist, taking her lips beneath hers.

"Leave it on." she whispers against her mouth, "Just this." she reiterates, guiding Korra's hand letting her fingers feel the knot of silk between her breasts. Taking the hint, kissing the necklace, her shoulder, levelling her mouth with their hands and tugging the fabric away with her teeth. Like the beat of a wing the fabric came a part and flew across the room, seen only as it passed through dark and light where the sunrise streamed through curtains, and Korra rolled her onto her back, onto the bed.

Asami rolled her right back, possessive and possessed by the notion that it was Korra's turn. Lavishing attention on her breasts, on the first piece of lingerie she had seen on her wife that wasn't branded by nike, not that she didn't love those boy shorts on her, or the way they accentuated her muscles.

Before she could dwell on licking the sweat that beaded on her abdomen when they made love, however she felt a crinkle. Reaching out blindly to swat out what ever it was they hadn't noticed from the bed her hands hit tissue paper and silicon and she blanched.

The pair looked at it, stunned for a moment, in all its strap, and throbbing purple glory protruding from the gift bag, just able to decipher in the dim light the note.

 _Go Fuck Yourselves!_

 _Love from W + O_

 _Ps. Enjoy this dildo we thought it was your colour._

After a moment of deliberation, Korra said the only thing her lust fuelled mind could think of.

"What do you think?"

"Maybe later." Asami breathed, " _I want to taste you_." tossing it from the side of the bed before redoubling her efforts. Asami shivered and dipped her neck, kissing Korra's jaw as her best friend cupped her breast, stroking her thumb back and forth over her hardened nipple. She reached up with her only free hand directed her mouth back to hers. Where ever she touched her gave her body an intense electrifying rush; her blood coursing through her she was surprised Asami couldn't hear it. Her lips knew where to travel, how hard to press, how to push the flow from bruisingly deep to gentle and tantalising. It was almost maddening as her mouth made that slow delicious trail down her stomach, kissing scars gently as Asami manoeuvred her legs to balance over her shoulders. She took a moment to take in the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Eyes hooded, hair tousled, face flushed, open and wet and wanting and so _fucking tempting_ as fingers hooked into her panties and tugged down.

Asami leaves soft kisses trailing where the material touches, feeling glee in the quivering muscles against her tongue as she surprises Korra, slipping two fingers inside her,

" _Jesus_ fuck!"

Smirking, for her mouth seeking home dragging her tongue through Korra's folds. It was a taste she'd learned well, and loved. She found her rhythm, fucking her lazily, feeling Korra's fingers curl into her locks as her orgasm built, her back arch and heels digging into her shoulders before she knew it. One after the other they crashed through her, shuddering and lacing the dark of the ceiling with a multitude of stars.

She lost sight of the present for a moment, coming to only when Asami was laying along side her, still adorned in her garter and belt. That would not do.

After the stockings were torn apart, Korra's bra tossed into the corner of the room, they lost count from then on, one, two, a dozen climaxes. They moved and travelled around the world in just one room, until lingerie and clothes a distant memory.

The most surprising, and by far Korra's favourite of the night, or rather morning, was when _maybe later_ came around, Asami's legs around her hips with their gift penetrating her, she couldn't help the way her back arched and toes curled as Korra thrusted. Biting her lip, kisses tapering off her her throat and the necklace, shivering herself as nails raked across her skin, hard, leaving marks across her already dappled spine. In the moment she couldn't tell if blood was drawn, all she could feel was the agonising pleasure, gripping the mattress, Asami's soft skin slick with sweat. Suddenly the angle of the heiress' hips shifted, her face pinched with ecstasy as her nails dug deeper and voice cried out with increasing volume. Only to be silenced with a kiss, and Korra's weight falling her and making the sensation all the sweeter.

When Asami finally caught her breath, her fingers became much more gentle, tracing some scars she knew and new thin scrapes she didn't.

"That was…"

" _Yeah_." Korra's lips seemed to refuse to leave her skin, she manoeuvred the appendage out of her feeling sleep tugging at her senses as she added, "God we are _so_ in debt to that _Beifong,_ "

The heiress laughed, feeling a loss but tugging at sheets. Draping the cool over them as Korra flexed against her.

"Oh God did I scratch you? I've never done that before."

"It's fine, it's beautiful. You're beautiful." Despite all this time together, the commitments, the intimacy of everything they were now, even in the dark Asami's cheeks gave a splash of colour. Korra laughed a little, cradling her cheek in her hand to guide her eyes from the ceiling to her own,

"I can tell you I just adore this…the way your eyebrows arch like this when you're worried." she traced her thumb over the the curve of her cheek, and it was with that deft touch that Asami lost all restraint and close the gap between their lips.

XXXX

They had fallen asleep in one morning, and awoken in another, ravenous for something other than each other for once. Knowing they had days uninterrupted, except by room service, they fell into this half naked routine. Having eaten, Korra spread on the bed in something of a food nap, Asami straddling her back.

"Mm I like you sitting on me. Feels _good_."

"Me too…'cept well you know - _higher_."

Korra snickered cheek and chest down against the pillows, enjoying the heiress' bare thighs against her own, Asami's calves parallel with Korra's knees.

"So what is this you have planned, like a massage?" Korra had only seen the toiletry bag Asami had brought with her onto the bed, and no idea of the surprises inside.

"Nothing like a massage." the heiress told her, mapping the athlete's muscular shoulders with her fingers. Tracing four parallel thin scratches with her own fingertips.

"Sure feels like one." Korra grinned smugly, eyes closed, repositioning her hips to better feel the heiress' skin pressing against her.

"When the Avatar ceremonies started, there were all these traditions, designed to eek out every trait of human culture in one person."

"You studied for this?"

"When do I ever not study for anything that I do?" the heiress reasoned,

"I'm not complaining!" Korra reached back awkwardly to touch Asami's knee.

"Tests of physical strength were a given, as well as the arts, like the quilts. But also, and this may or may have been back when tribal members stood outside the tent and cheered on new couples as they…well…you get the picture."

"Where are you going with this?"

" _Lovers would paint each other,_ and I mean lovers, not arranged marriages _._ Just for each other, where no-one else could see, with henna. I know it sounds odd but…ever since I read it I cant get it out of my head… I wanted to give it a try." her cool fingers tracing the dip in Korra's spine, watching the muscles flex as her wife breathed softly.

Korra understood, everything about their love life was so public, they had had the full _cheering outside their bedroom door_ experience except in brilliant high definition, streamed into every home. Even before, Korra knew Asami treated privacy like a precious gift, handled with care. Korra loved how she made every moment count.

"Where did you learn all this?"

"Nearest translation is _The Water Tribe_ \- shall we say… _Karma Sutra_."

" _How did you get that_?"

"I don't think I should tell you."

"Okay immediately I'm thinking eBay, Opal or god forbid my- oh please no."

"I'm not saying anything."

Korra groaned into the pillow, kicking her legs before feeling her wife kissing the back of her neck lightly, before tapering off to kiss behind her ear.

"I love that you studied for this."

"So you ready?" the carmaker asked, scooping her hair over her bare shoulder as she dipped her head and lips found the clasp of the athlete's bra. With a tug, a snap and a wet kiss she unlatched it and ran her mouth across the warm soft skin.

" _What_!" Korra almost turned, remembering she was pinned, "did you just…? _No hands_?"

" _Yeah_." Asami blushed covering her smile, "You need to take it off though."

"But _you!_ …I-am-so- _turned-on._ " Korra pouted.

"Well it takes ten minutes to dry," Asami reasoned, "I'm sure we can think of something to occupy your dirty mind."

Korra moaned and buried her face in the pillow, preparing to grip it if need be.

"So what are you thinking? Or are you going to write ' _Sato's bitch'_ over and over because I'm totally cool with that."

"Only if I mess up," the heiress shrugged unzipping the bag and uncapping the applicator tube,

"What about a Georgia O' Keefe?"

"Shh okay stay still!" Asami chuckled, fluttering her fingertips down her back some more. Rolling her eyes as Korra manoeuvred her arms out of her bra straps. As she waited patiently Asami bent forward and kissed between her shoulder blades, pulling the offending lingerie out from under her.

"Asami _not helping._ "

"Asami yes helping." the heiress muttered, sitting back and admiring her canvas.

Korra braved a look back over her shoulder, catching Asami's expression shift into one of deep concentration. One that designed engines, and sketched intricate processors, she knew then what she was about to be given would be both beautiful and mathematically precise.

"Don't flinch, but this is probably going to be cold."

" _Water tribe_." Korra reminded, flourishing her fingers, before shifting involuntarily.

"I said don't flinch!" Asami scolded laughing.

She worked in silence, with Korra too curious to go about thinking of any wise cracks or jokes to break it. It felt like long arching sweeps, angled panels, controlled, precise spanning her entire back. She covered scars, in part but it didn't seem like they factored much in her design, and clearly there was one.

"Okay stay still,"

"For ten minutes?"

"Is that a problem?"

"You'll need to keep me occupied." Korra teased, "I mean so much was promised, a reward I believe."

"I never mentioned reward." Asami lay beside her, tucking her hands beneath her cheek.

"But I'm bored already." Korra pouted, "Can I do this?" She shifted her arm just a little bit, so her hand could curl around her hip, fingers already teeming into Asami's underwear.

"You have some on your arms actually so no…"

"Clearly you didn't plan this very well Sato."

"I believe you." Asami relented catching her hand.

"Can I smudge it?"

"No! It has to be perfect, just for us."

"How many minutes has it been?"

"Not even two." the heiress chuckled, biting her lip as an idea flickered into her head, "Don't move okay?"

"Okay." letting go of Korra's her fingers found their way to Korra's thigh, who struggled with not reacting immediately, "This is a horrible idea."

"Tell me to stop." Asami moved closer, tasting her breath as it came in increasing bursts, not kissing her, not yet. Her fingers grazed the inside of her thigh, slipping behind her panties, thumb tracing the folds the entrance, meanwhile Korra whined and buried her face in the pillow, gripping tight singing a mantra of _don't move don't move fuck yes fuck yes…_ in her head as the heiress' hands found familiar patterns.

She managed to barely hold out, shouting into the pillow, before braving a look and asking,

"Are my ten minutes up?"

"I think they were ten minutes ago yeah."

"Right." Korra sat up stretching, "How do I look?"

"Like a goddess." Asami told her, that had been her intention. Korra looked back at her self on the nearby mirror.

" _Raava_."

"I've been practicing." the carmaker admitted, hand under her chin as she admired her.

"Alright your turn take your bra off."

"What?"

"You heard me." Korra smiled a smile that Asami could only reciprocate and submit to her request.

"On my front or…"

"Lay Back," Korra's own creative skills Asami hadn't seen since her wheelchair days. She'd sketch endless patterns, with a look on her face that only made her best friend want to kiss her, it was probably because her tongue would eek out between her lips sometimes.

That look had come back now, as she mapped out and placed dot after dot on the left side of Asami's stomach.

"Are you doing any of this on my arms or my boobs or?"

"No not really." Korra flashed a smug grin at her before returning to her art. Meanwhile the heiress rolled her eyes, before closing them, and enjoying her deft touches.

Soon enough Korra was done, and before she could look down at her self Korra had manoeuvred herself between her legs. Asami's hands flew to her hair instinctively, reminding herself not to let her elbows brush her stomach. Korra's skilled tongue released a whimper in seconds.

When Korra had finally come up for air and asked if her ten minutes was up, once, twice, three times, Asami finally paid attention to the henna pattern now dry on her stomach.

"A cog?" she breathed.

"A mandala cog," Korra explained, now laying beside her, kissing the back of her hand tangled with hers. "Tibetan monks make them out of dyed sand, then wash them all away, but I've always thought they were beautiful. They're adaptable, intricate, precise. I thought it'd suit. I also didn't want to leave us uneven."

Asami smiled, turning her head, to catch her eye.

"Thank you." she told her, kissing her shoulder. "Speaking of uneven." tracing her fingers down the line of her abdomen.


	21. Chapter 21

"Korra…" Asami mumbled sleepily against her collar, kissing her chest, her own face lost in a tangle of her dark hair, so much so that when she kissed, she caught it against her lips. She hadn't the heart to remove her hands from her warm skin, or her fingers from between her own.

The princess grumbled in a low tone before attempting to bribe her wife from what she was about to say next, kissing her forehead and squeezing her arm higher on her ribs.

"Korra…they're going to come looking for us and you know it." the heiress reasoned, secretly loving the way Korra was stroking the nest that had become her hair so to better see her face, gentle, running her fingers through the locks to untangle them as well as enjoying the silk of her skin.

"They'll have to find us first." Korra mumbled in a devious tone before capturing her lips. Hands flew to her jaw by instinct as she took control, indulgent, exquisite sweet control.

"Literally every one knows we're here." she meant it as a warning but it came out almost lamenting, as her long arms came around her shoulders.

"We have the week, they _want_ to leave us to our debauchery," Korra reasoned amid tapering lazy kisses across her cheek and throat, enjoying the heiress repositioning herself above her, bed sheets becoming a tent over their bodies.

Asami was quickly forgetting her point, important information was lost in lips and limbs and Korra's grip on her ass as she relented to enjoy it. Kissing harder and digging fingertips into and across the henna painted on the athlete's back.

It felt like lunacy the intensity of it all, how after weeks of this exquisite sex the pair still couldn't get enough. It went unspoken for the most part but they knew they owed a debt of missed opportunities, this was merely living up to the fullest expectation.

Just as Asami's hips bore down on Korra's, and Korra's hands came up cupped the heiress' petite breasts a feint buzz reminded Asami of why they had to get up. Jarred she flinched back, lunging for her cell.

" _We made plans for breakfast_."

"We did?"

"Last night remember?"

"Not really," Korra shrugged, adding after Asami's beleaguered sigh, "I mean I remember five - six? Really fucking amazing things from last night but our _itinerary for the earliest meal in the day i_ sn't one of them."

"Well I remember between great thing four and great thing _five_ I said, we should get some sleep, Opal wants to meet us tomorrow for breakfast and you said something like 'why eat out there when I can eat you out here?' and I found it really hard to argue what with being _Sexy Asami_ and you doing that thing with your tongue that I really _really_ love _,_ "

"That does sound like something I would say." Korra admitted. "and do."

"Fuck I said we'd be in the lobby by ten." Asami dismounted her much to Korra's distaste. Pouting she asked.

"What time is it now?"

"Almost."

"We can miss it they'll understand."

"Opal will understand yes, but letting go that we blew her off to well- blow each other - she wont let us live it down, which will add to the long _long_ list of things we'll never live down. Hell she'll probably post what I said about you on twitter." the heiress was crouching dragging the suitcase that had been stashed in the room for the pair the night they arrived. As yet unopened.

"What did you say to her?" Korra suddenly felt very awake, watching a blush glow over pale cheeks.

" _Nothing_!" she tried unconvincingly.

"Hey!"

"You know nothing bad will come of what I said but she was so insistent and you know the way she pries and pries for information _relentlessly_ it's really nothing you don't already know and in the light of what already has been shared about us _does it really matter_?"

"Asami." Korra repeated in a more stern tone, desperate to get out of trouble Asami tried.

"Haven't you ever heard snitches get stitches?"

"Yeah in _prison movies_ \- Asami - if you don't tell me now I'll - _I'll withhold sex_." the athlete tried not to blink as she stared her down, but Asami's own fear melted as she gave an amused pointed took, cocking her eyebrow that Korra didn't want to admit _always_ turned her on, " _Yeah,_ you're right that'll never happen." she admitted.

Unexpectedly, her brows drew together, picking at the bed sheets, (there was nothing to pick at they were perfect), with a perplexing worried look across her features. Finally she explained softly,

"If there's something I can fix that you felt the need to tell her, you should let me know it."

" _Kay_." Asami shuffled closer to the bed, catching her downward gaze and feeding her fingers around her wrist of the hand keeping a sheet over her chest, "I told her you're the best sex I've ever had."

" _What_?"

Asami groaned squeezing her eyes shut and continuing.

"I- I told her that you have this crazy stamina, but you're attentive and intuitive and-and frankly I feel out matched," the more she spoke however, the more natural it felt, she found herself lost in a sea of perfect memories, resting her chin on the bed as she reminisced with a stupid grin pulling on her features, "you're creative, my _god,_ you're so creative and I've never been this intimate with another person, _I've had sex_ don't get me wrong but with you its more than an experience its…" she struggled to find the word with her eyes closed, it wasn't until she opened them and took in her now blushing bride with that exquisite daring look she knew it then, "It's _fusion._ "

She bit her lower lip, waiting with bated breath her reaction. She expected a laugh, maybe a _don't be ridiculous,_ more likely more kisses. Korra had focused on something and as usual, it was an entirely new perspective.

" _Out matched?_ " she nearly yelled, "I'm sorry - _you_ \- let me get this - _you_ feel _out matched_ by me! Oh my God I-" clutching the sheet to her chest she sat up, habitually running her fingers through her hair at a loss for the right words, "What - no!"

"What - what are you trying to say?"

"It doesn't translate. Miss _Equal_ , Miss _One-up,_ Miss _I can do more with one finger than a man can with two fingers and a flashlight!_ "

"You saw _that_?"

"Oh I saw."

"How is it? I mean what _did_ you expect? Being with me?"

"You sure you want to risk being late for breakfast?" Korra teased, standing sheet taut around her chest like a dress only completely bare in the back.

"I think past ten it's brunch."

"It's going to be lunch if we don't hurry up and get dressed." Korra waved a hand as she sauntered into the en suite. Before passing the threshold she looked back, and _fuck,_ she was beautiful, hair unkempt, mouth smudged with lipstick she never wore, blue eyes deep, dark and dangerous. Then she disappeared, followed by the hiss of a shower.

" _Korra, c'mon_ what did you- _"_ Lips caught the end of her question, strong arms holding her aloft against the door frame as her kisses tapered off, leaving just enough space between them to add.

"You know the answers to those questions." she nibbled a little on her neck, "You know how I feel."

"But do I-" she tried to think of a non callous way to do it which was difficult as Korra knelt, pressing wet kisses to her tattoo. She fed her fingers into her locks, looking up, desperate for a clear answer. "How do I measure up?"

"You want me to tell you how I fantasised?" her hands came up around hips, thumbs tracing arcs, "How I dreamed I could hold you like this?" she pecked her belly button chastely, smiling as Asami's grip only tightened on her short locks, "How I could take you and you would take me - every which way." her lips moved against the skin, each word a kiss of its own, "How I thought it would feel when you told me you loved me?"

" _Please_." At that Korra began to stand, lips blazing a familiar trail, missing their mark if only to show the seriousness of her expression.

"The reality is so much better than anything I could imagine." smiling she stepped back, carefully, having already planned the route, letting the spray stroke her back. Taking pure joy in the way the gravity of her words lifted her wife into her embrace. Warm water dousing their hair, nipples stroking against her own, pressed against her she added,

"I didn't expect you to be so sweet…You call yourself _Sexy Asami,_ and I love it, I love her, but every so often we're in the middle and you stop. You'll find a scar, or a mark, or my eyes, and you'd just get lost in me."

"You're beautiful," the heiress couldn't help the way her fingers found them, the puckered flesh on her collar.

"And I believe it." Korra pulled her under the stream, chasing her lips and letting her hands wander to the soaps on the side. "Can't be late for brunch now can we?"

Knowing they only had a short amount of time only made them want it so much more. Losing themselves for just a moment before the water finally ran cold. It was a harsh reminder, but smiling all the way they held hands through the corridors just as tightly as they'd arrived. Asami wearing flannel that she hadn't seen since Vegas, and Korra in her most beloved possession. SATO emblazoned over her shoulders.

She'd tied her hair up into an adorable tufty pony tail, which despite appearances was getting long for Korra.

"I love how cute your ears are." Korra felt them grow hot as she walked, puffing out her cheeks, using every ounce of will not to drag her back, and a little more not to take her in the corridor.

"Surprise!"

She stumbled into the restaurant, and the pair were greeted by applause from pretty much all of their party guests. All wearing pale pink shirts adorned with Korra and Asami's first kiss wedding photo.

"Ah they have emerged from their Love Cave! The Sex Dungeon! Their-" Opal beckoned to them before Bolin nudged her,

"Okay Padme,"

"Yes I'd appreciated if you kept the subject matter more savoury Opal." Tenzin agreed from the long table occupied mostly by his kids, "Given the education they have recently received."

"Oh my God you actually did it." Asami whispered as Opal embraced them, "you actually remade the t shirts."

"I'd have gotten you two some but someone already has a new shirt." the stunt double smiled,

"Yeah you can't get this off me." Korra admitted emanating nothing but pride.

"Sorry Tenzin!" Opal chagrinned back to her old master, blushing finally before turning to Korra's own parents, "Okay I had half an hour pay up!"

"Mom! Again!" Korra lamented as Senna begrudgingly handed over a note. Meanwhile her wife stood next to her did everything not to laugh. She rushed to meet them, wasting no time in bending down to hug her mother in law, who smugly told her.

"And you were worried she wouldn't like it." eyeing the fantastic way Korra looked in her gift. Asami could only smile, and tell her,

"Would you believe she topped it right away with a gift of her own?"

Korra watched the way Asami immediately took a seat at their table, welcome, enthusiastic and sharing as much as she was being shared with.

"So Korra how comes you guys is late?" Rohan tugged on her shirt and she took the chair next to him. "Opals said you couldn't get out of bed the whole time were you sick because of the cold?"

"No no!" she stuttered, very aware the conversations had lulled to listen to this inevitable trainwreck, "Um we uh just were sleeping, getting some rest."

"For three days Korra?" Ikki teased, enjoying watching the soccer star squirm, despite the infuriated look the teenager received from her father.

"Well I had uh nightmares, I was afraid of uh, big scary _purple,"_ she threw a glance to Opal who choked on her drink, "monsters. But you know what? I snuggled close to Asami and I wasn't afraid, and I got some sleep. A little too much actually which is why we were late. Sorry."

"The monster in the dungeon?" if Korra's face was red before now it was luminescent.

"Yup monster in a dungeon… _and_ a cave, which is what Opal meant."

"And Asami saved you with her love?"

"Mmhmm! because she knows Krav Maga which is an ancient fighting technique of deadly warriors so I knew I was safe."

"Cool!" he turned to Asami eyes bright, clutching his crayons tightly in his fists, "Asami you've got to show me your Crab Maga so _I_ can fight the purple monster too!"

"Maybe when your 18."

"Jinora!" Tenzin scolded.

Rohan shrugged, nudging Korra to share in his colouring.

"Asami," Mako materialised, sleuth that he was behind her chair, "Want to check out the buffet with me, I'm uh going for seconds."

"Sure." the heiress excused herself, throwing a glance back to Korra, being gifted with a single sheet of Rohan's templates to fill in, as well as a fistful of figurines from his pockets. Reaching the queue he looked down at his feet, before catching her eye, and bouncing his gaze back away for pick up fresh plates and cutlery.

"So congratulations." for whatever reason he seemed awkward, even by Mako standards. Looking at him now she could tell something was looming, more than that, something was missing.

"Thanks, that means a lot coming from you." she squeezed his arm, "Are you okay? The film didn't upset you or anything did it?"

"What? No! It's fine really, you guys make more sense than any couple I know I don't think it's possible to be mad at how perfect you guys are. I've always got your back."

"Wow thanks." she inspected him for a moment, never settling his gaze on one thing for too long, "You seem troubled, are you sure you don't want to talk about anything?"

"Uh yeah I guess. Wu, asked me to move in with him."

"Wow… fast." Mako gave her a derisive look with the help of his stellar eyebrows, she raised her hand defensively, "What did you say?"

"I didn't, I said I didn't know what to say. He's probably half way to the airport by now."

"Do you love him?"

Mako let out a pensive sigh.

"I- does it matter?"

"At this point? Definitely. I think it's safe to say he cares deeply for you too. Or he wouldn't have asked."

"I care deeply, stronger than I did for you, or Korra or anybody, but I don't know feels different now. Like there's more at stake."

"You want to talk to me about high stakes? I tip toed around Korra for years and look how much time we wasted."

"It could go horribly wrong, I mean we're so different couldn't it go really badly."

"Thats just the risk you have to be brave enough to take." Asami told him softly, a mantra she had repeated to herself more than once over the past few weeks, even before Vegas, but as time progressed; the less she needed it. Turning she nodded towards their table, to Korra playing monster with action figures and a candle holder, "I mean, on the flip side it could turn out really _really_ well."

Mako wanted to say something along the lines of _you got lucky,_ but as much as Asami got everything she ever wanted, he'd watched her work exceptionally hard for it.

"Thanks." he murmured, thoughts rushing away with him, plans forming at the ends of his finger tips. "I've got to go."

"What? _Now_?"

" _Definitely_." he emptied his hands on the nearest table

"Will you make it in time?"

"I'm a cop! I'll improvise!" he started jogging away, ruffling his brothers hair along as he sped past.

Bolin turned to the carmaker, grinning widely as he mouthed " _Is he doing it?"_ to which she could only nod, and in turn the actor stood on his chair and whooped after him like a madman.

Asami set her plate down at her seat before once again becoming mesmerised in her wife's antics.

"What are you guys so entranced by?" she asked, stepping behind her, throwing her arms over Korra's shoulders to watch her skilled hands work.

"I'm just catching up with the little man here - colours, remember those? All the rage I thought they went out of style when I was young but _what do you know_? They're coming back around. That and what was it?"

"Dinosaurs."

" _Dinosaurs._ What do you call this lil guy cowering behind my hand here? A _doyouthinkhesawrus!"_

"That's an iguanadon!" Rohan corrected.

"Would you like me to punish her?" Asami offered, planting her lips on Korra's cheek and blowing a wet raspberry.

"Ew gross! Asami!" laughing, she turned wiping her cheek and grinning madly, "You're so disgusting I love you!" the heiress pecked her lips and told her.

"Mm and I love you too." before taking a seat at the table with her family.

XXX

 **EPILOGUE**

Letting the shawl of her anniversary dress cascade down her shoulders, Korra padded into the bathroom, teasing her own ears with earrings that wouldn't co-operate.

"The reservations are at eight, meeting Bopal and Wuko here at half past seven if we, and by that I mean you, take the Lambo and speed - are you shaving your legs…on your phone? In the _Tub_?"

"I can do both…" readjusting the razor in her fingers, "three things." she corrected.

"You have officially lost your mind." Korra made to grab her cell before it tumbled and electrocuted her wife.

"Hey!" Asami snatched it back, bubbles spraying in all directions.

"I would prefer it if my partner didn't wind up dead. We've been together a long time, and I've really come to like you you know?"

"It won't kill me… Sato-phones are water resistant for up to 100 metres."

"We're already running behind as it is, it can't wait until after? Your bath I mean? I mean if you put it down now I'll let you text and drive. You can get it done before dinner."

"It's not that simple." the heiress seethed rubbing a temple, angling the razor away from her face.

" _Asami_."

"Korra I have to get these emails out to the CFO's!"

"Baby you own the company, the point is that you let them handle this. I don't like watching you stress."

"I know but if we have any hope of continuing _what we've been doing -_ I need to make sure its in good hands before the third." Asami gestured dangerously, wildly with her hands as her voice rose in pitch.

" _Okay_." Korra said simply, perching on the edge of the tub at her legs. She reached for her right hand, and teased the razor from her fingers, "Okay." cupping her wife's calf, and raising out of the warm water and foam. "Did you make your choice for East Coast CEO yet?"

Calmly, gently, she scraped at the tiny downy hairs at her ankle, and the Asami's surprise it was with skill as well as obvious care.

"It's between Mullins, or Mang,"

"Who do you trust more?" Korra rationalised, ignoring the astonished gaze her wife was giving her, these moments weren't rare, but she got lost in them all the same. She'd never had a lover be her best friend before Korra, and the transition was seamless. All this time, and she could make her heart race, knees quake, while she listened, and advised and understood her without questioning.

"Mang needs training, but I doubt Mullins would want to give the job back." Asami leaned back, glancing at her email as she pursed her fingers over her forehead.

"Would you want her to?" Korra teased adjusting her fingers to angle her wife's leg more. "You could take Mullins when the time comes. You're a hard ass, it's obvious you'd win-"

"So you're saying Mullins?"

" _Lemme finish_ \- you want above the knee?"

"My dress is below, but it's honestly up to you." Asami raised her ankle and stroked her now smooth skin across Korra's cheek. "How'd you like this all the way?" Korra felt her cheeks flare at that, her heart pulsed loudly and she took a moment to compose herself, remembering their date, before continuing.

"It's obvious you'd win." she continued, "But thats not you. You love to teach. You're a nurturer. I mean it's why we're doing this. But you'd also want to be needed. Just a little bit. I think Mang would keep you updated. You wouldn't be doing the job but you'd be leading. Steering the boat."

There it was. As Korra concentrated on not accidentally breaking skin, Asami fell a little more in love with her, the woman who knew her more than she knew herself. The silence that stretched however was disconcerting, so Korra backtracked.

"…When you came back you'd have someone you could expand with if you wanted… What do I know. I think you'd miss it, is all I'm saying."

Her legs came out of Korra's reach and she looked up, as the CEO tucked them beneath her to level their faces. For a second Korra couldn't identify her expression, second guessing her usual instincts as Asami held her cheeks and marvelled at the mind beneath those beautiful eyes.

Wordlessly she slung her arms around her shoulders, rising out of the water like an aquatic queen as she kissed her with fervour. The athlete responded instantly, slipping her palms across wet naked skin and tugging her close by her shoulder blades. Instead of pulling her up, she dipped threatening to join her fully clothed.

"Your _shawl_." Asami warned.

" _I'll go naked_." Korra ripped it down and pulled her back, cupping the back of her neck with both hands. The heiress keened as Korra nipped at her lower lip, before gently pecking her chin and neck. Lips against her throat she added softly.

"Thank you so much for doing this for me."

" _For us_. You're my soulmate. Have I ever told you that?"

"You could stand to mention it more."

Korra reared her head so her lips caught the corner of Asami's until a knocking at the front door jolted them out of their reverie.

"Oh Damn Bopal. They're _early_."

"No you're just incredibly late." Korra let her slip back into her bubbles, smiling smugly before standing. Swaying gently like a love sick puppy finding her feet. The knocking resonated again and she shook her head, "Now get out of the bath before I stick my hand between your legs and make you scream."

"Is that a promise?"

"Keep it in your pants Sato." Korra jibed as she towelled her glistening biceps. Slow, knowing her wife was ogling. She grinned, touching her fingers to her own exposed collar, and added "Until tonight anyway."

"If we're quiet maybe they'll go away?" Asami suggested.

"Finish your emails." Korra waved a hand over her shoulder before turning out of the bathroom.

"You forgot your earrings!"

"Screw 'em!"

"Me first!" Asami protested pride welling in her throat at Korra's unrestrained laugh that filtered through the half open doors.

The words came to Asami then like chatter, charged by her ingenuity and sudden good mood she shot out the remaining emails before dashing her phone beside the sink and rushing her way through drying and make up.

A moment was taken as she passed a particular photo. Although it was printed on a toilet seat cover, it had survived Vegas and several moves and was a proud albeit tacky nod to their mad beginnings as a couple that despite being a bastion of good fashionable taste; Asami loved.

Grabbing fistfuls of necklaces, earrings, her jacket and shoes strategically strewn on the queen sized bed she whipped them up to use the mirror in the parlour. Where she expected to find her friends. Except she heard the voices instead emanating from the study. It didn't surprise the heiress to find her them deep in conversation.

"This is so cool!" Bolin's excitable tone gave her pause.

"You're still in contact with that maniac?!" Mako exclaimed.

"Hey - Aside from his atrocious bedside manner the man's a genius in his field. Pushing boundaries, _limitless possibilities_ …it surprised me too but once we heard him out, once _Asami_ heard him _,_ we believed him _._ "

"How did you guys decide that this was the way you…wanted to go?" Opal, for once, was serious, almost timid with her question.

"Doctor Varrick called about a month ago. I know its weird, haven't spoken to the man since I was bludgeoned in Vegas but he tracked us down. With an opportunity that was and I quote _'exclusively for lesbians'"_

"Please tell me you hung up."

"Well no I laughed my ass off for about five minutes until he actually was coherent, I mean when he spoke in english terms, he was using a lot of jargon. Anyway I heard treatment and hospital and medical science and I…regressed immediately."

"What why?"

"Well you know that since the accident, I was-I was," Korra swallowed, "The lacerations to my stomach - they left me infertile." She danced around it, but the heiress knew this was progress, taking power from it by talking about it candidly was something her wife was becoming a pro at. "I always thought I would have kids."

Keeping sadness from her tone was also something Korra had honed over the years. There were many emotional hurdles she had had to face, except they were more like high brick walls that littered her path every five feet. Asami did everything to get her over them back then, relentlessly, until they succeeded. This particular wall was nearly impossible to climb, until of course now.

The heiress, finished with her jewels, stood at the jarred door. For whatever reason it felt important not to interrupt her wife as she went to the bookshelf, and lifted an album from between _Engineering for Dummies_ and _Love Amongst the Dragons._ The latter was dog eared to the point of disintegration, a sure tell that this was one of Korra's books amongst the library if she loved it enough to keep, it would be used always.

Leather bound, tied with blue silk Korra handled the handcrafted book, equally dog eared as it was precise and beautiful. Pressed onto the front cover was the word, _ALTERNATIVES,_ embossed in gold.

"Asami has been working on this since I knew, _we_ knew that I couldn't... I mean she was there when I found out. I was a mess _again_ I don't think I said a word until she _wheeled_ me outta there _._ " Through the door jam Asami watched the care with which the athlete pulled on the silk and turned the pages. "She didn't show this to me until a week later. The first draft anyway."

"Oh my God." Opal breathed, tracing nimble fingers over the folded newspaper articles and printouts from websites. "That is… _how could you miss how completely in love with you she was?"_ Opal punched her arm.

"Did I mention how my spine was cracked in a rare condition where in my head was shoved completely up my own ass?"

"So she researched cures?" Bolin asked.

"Everything. She researched anything and everything and put them here. IVF. Surrogacy. Donors. Transplants. _Cloning."_

 _"Wow."_

"I only saw it a few times back then. I didn't know what to do with the information but it _really_ helped. I put it away. Feeling better, knowing when the time came, and I had that someone." her grin pulled involuntarily at her lips as she spoke, "I had this to refer back to… and then, when I wasn't looking…when we lived together the first time, and the second time, when we got together she was - _she added to it_."

Korra turned onto one of the final pages, and an article from _Pink News_ had been annotated by none other than Asami herself. She had already tracked down the right doctors, the pharmaceutical companies, with the correct phone numbers and emails. Just a couple of thumb prints away.

 _Babies with two biological same-sex parents could become a reality in just two years_

"Holy shit," Opal breathed.

"Dr Varrick was heading up a stem cell research team based in the US. They have it ready. It works. He had the idea us high profile lesbians would be the perfect advocates."

"Are you going for it?" Bolin all but yelped, a tell tale sign that he was gearing up for a champion hug.

"Yes." Asami answered, flipping her hair over her shoulder hoping to look less nervous than she actually was. "We went to Vegas last week. Going again next."

Bolin's squeal immediately went ultra sonic.

XXXX

" _Sweeeetie_ …" Asami sat on her side of the bed, gently tangling her fingers in Korra's hair and feeling the silk, though mussed up, through her fingers, "Time to get up hun,"

"Mggnh _never."_ The athlete seethed into her pillow, meanwhile placing a possessive hand over the heiress'.

"Oh yeah?" Asami tucked her legs up underneath her as best she could in her pressed pinstripe skirt, holding herself aloft with an elbow. "You want to miss practice?"

"Yeah." her voice croaky and adorable.

"You want to lose your captaincy?"

"Kuvira can have it." Korra twitched her fingers, encouraging Asami to scratch her scalp a little.

"You want to get kicked off the team?" the heiress teased.

"I'll teach gym." Asami sniggered at that, an adorable tiny snort surprising them both as she laughed and Korra finally turned her head to look at her smugly. "You laughed Miss Piggy I'm off the hook." before rubbing her face into the soft plush pillows she desperately didn't want to leave.

"How are you supposed to be a parent if you can't show _any_ discipline K?" Asami teased.

"Whats that the WBC said we could do? Because we're heinous famous homosexuals? I'll brainwash the kid."

"Mmm and I can create war weaponry and you can control the weather."

"But bed is safe - _Sami,_ " Korra whined as Asami relinquished her hands, "Hug me, come back."

"And you'll get up?" Korra's reply was a moan that was muffled but sounded like _maybe,_ and to be fair Asami did miss being pressed up against her. She slipped her arms and clasped her arms under and around her chest, tucking her chin into Korra's warm neck. "Does that feel good?"

"Yeah, good for you?"

" _Amazing_ ," the heiress concurred closing her eyes and admiring the heat and scent radiating from her wife, brushing her cheek from Korra's neck to between her shoulder blades.

"With that in mind - You sure you can't skip work today?" Korra asked, sleepy grin eminent in her voice.

"Unless you want to help me depose the youngest CEO in technological history, initiating the biggest change in FI in ten years, talk to press, and present the new designs for eco friendly generators that could power the country independently for the next century to the board of directors for me?"

"Okay, you could have just said no." Korra smiled with pride despite the grumbling tone. Asami started to dislodge herself, before Korra added, "Wait I need to borrow something from you."

"What?"

Korra turned just enough to face her.

"A kiss."

"What?"

"I promise to give it back." the athlete crossed her heart, and the heiress couldn't help but blush at the sweetness of it all, but in the mornings Korra's mind just worked like that. Getting out of bed was sacrilege, and she had an arsenal of emotional weapons at her fingertips that she could use to convince her wife to stay in the warm, in her arms.

"You waste an exorbitant amount of time do you know that?"

"Is that a no?" Her answer came in the gentle press of rouge lips to her own smooth ones. A keening sound came unrepressed from the princess' throat. Asami barely restrained hers.

"Not a waste of time if its fun doing it." Korra added softly when they parted. Blue eyes twinkling just enough to get Asami to stop and enjoy the minuscule light show beneath her, as well as that adorable, albeit sleepy half smile. It took a moment or two of this before she gathered her senses and broke out of her trance.

"You're fine with being late?"

" _Absolutely_." Korra tucked her face back into her pillow, readjusting her grip on the carmaker's arm.

"Well I'm setting up breakfast, and you can be there, and I can drive you, and then maybe you can put your hand on my leg, and maybe we can think of a way to occupy our boredom when we hit traffic. And we will hit traffic." her lips captured the athlete's ear lobe, nibbling lightly as well as brushing, accidentally-on-purpose her fingers across Korra's nipple through her shirt. "But you're an adult and its really up to you…" and with that Asami slipped away.

When the door closed Korra battled internally with herself.

 _"I'm not going to get up."_ she told her pillow stubbornly, and of course she argued silently with herself for a good five minutes before her cell phone vibrated on her bedside cabinet. She watched it light up and then dim, before vibrating again.

She reached and unlocked the save screen, swiping away her favourite photo of the day at the races, showing Asami's text screen

 _I have a nice surprise for you._

 _In the kitchen._

Korra smirked silently thumbing her reply.

 _Nice try Sato._

And the rebuttal.

 _It involves something I made for you._

 _And cereal._

Both Korra's eyes popped wide open now, scrambling from the bed. She'd always joked about it but never thought the heiress would go _through_ with it.

Faster than a kid on christmas she donned a robe, any robe, which turned out to be Asami's, too long in the sleeves, silken and a sleek sheer burgundy as she sprinted down the stairs. When she got downstairs, checking her phone and and looking at the table, which had only a bowl and not the box of Sat'O's she had been expecting. Asami was sat on the stool beside a place for Korra, who didn't yet take it, but in her flurry didn't quite notice the tears beading in her wife's eyes, or her erratic breathing, coupled with her mad smile.

"Okay I knew this was fake but I couldn't live with myself if it was true."

"Korra."

"I mean have I always hoped you'd take this request I've always joked about seriously - _yes,_ but I know you're not a mind reader and-"

"Korra _look in the bowl._ " the change in tone stopped Korra short, she stepped closer, and spied the object surrounded by porcelain. Asami suddenly didn't know what to do with her hands, she cupped the bowl and then her cheeks, and covered her lips.

Meanwhile Korra couldn't move, she thought about a multitude of odd things, for example she could now feel her heart beat in the bone of her shoulder blades, and did not know that was possible.

"You pee'd on this?" Asami was lost in a swirl of panic, surprise and pure joy to actually laugh at the only words that made it out of her wife's mouth.

"Yes." and with that Korra hugged her, tight, burying her face into her hair and untucking her shirt from her skirt in the sheer force of her embrace.

" _I love you so much."_ Korra croaked, feeling Asami finally begin to laugh, tears coming from her eyes as she carded her fingers through her hair. "Wait you did this just now? Is this why you wanted me to get out of bed?"

"I've been doing tests every morning in the bathroom and it was ready just now when I came down but um…" she struggled with the mist in her eyes before adding, "we are late for work actually but - _it's_ _positive."_

 _"We're gonna have a baby."_

 _"N'yeah…A little you…"_ Asami whispered.

 _"_ With a lot of you. _"_ Korra added, pressing her forehead against hers and smiling bigger than she ever thought she could. She looked down at the bowl again, marvelling at the pen-sized test inside, and the tiny blue cross at the top end, "This is such a weird plan…I mean this was was belated wedding china Asami."

"Oh yeah." Asami opened a cabinet at their hips and pulled out the cereal box and placed it behind the bowl, "I was going to - I forgot,"

She had presented an actual, professionally made box of rainbow, hoop and cog based cereal, Vegas, the water tribe and future industries all incorporated into the design.

 _ALL PROFITS GO TO LGBT CHARITIES,_ was printed across the top like a promotion. Beneath this, the brand name - Sat'O's.

"They'll be in stores next spring." the heiress admitted wiping her tears.

"I think I'm going to pass out."


End file.
